


Undertow

by TheUnicornFountain



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Zelda Wii U
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Mentions of Suicide, Multi, NSFW
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2015-10-02
Packaged: 2018-04-05 01:46:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 80,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4160958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheUnicornFountain/pseuds/TheUnicornFountain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sequel to <em>Blue Arrow.</em></p><p>At the end of <em>Blue Arrow,</em> Link and Ganondorf ride away to begin a journey together after Link decides to leave Hyrule to better himself. <em>Undertow</em> tells the story of that time--in particular, the reason why Link returned alone. </p><p>Much like <em>Blue Arrow</em> this story is largely based on <em>Zelda Wii U</em> with a mix of other games (elements and characters) within it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Restlessness

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to _Undertow!_
> 
> This story has been on my mind since I finished _Blue Arrow._ I didn't think I would be starting it as soon as this, but a few of my other fanfictions fell through, so now I can focus on it. 
> 
> Readers should be aware of implied Ganondorf/Link within this; something I've been building towards since the original story. There's also at least as much violence and such as in that story, and foreign words are back so translations will be provided at the end of each chapter.
> 
> Please enjoy, thank you! Feedback and kudos are much appreciated from AO3 members and anons alike.

# Undertow

### Prologue: Restlessness

A veil of clouds obscured the starry sky and dropped a light rain on the thin forest below. Amidst the trees, a tent glowed with firelight from within. The light flickered, dimmed, and went out, prompting a curse.

“I thought you had filled this,” Link grumbled. He gained his feet within the dark tent and tripped over one of Ganondorf’s legs. Another curse slipped from his mouth; Sheikan this time.

“Watch it,” Ganondorf almost snapped. Link’s foot had only just missed the fork of his pants. He sighed and dropped the book he was reading seconds earlier. “Just let it go, little fish.”

“Did you use Din’s Fire to light it?” Link asked from the shadows. “You know that stuff burns through oil like it’s nothing.”

“Link.” The lantern squeaked. “Oy, Link. Leave it. I’m tired anyway.”

“I still have to refill it.” 

“That can wait until morning.” Ganondorf sat up and coaxed an orb of light into his hands. It highlighted the frustration in Link’s face while he stood over Ganondorf’s legs and fiddled with the lantern hanging from the tent’s pole. As Ganondorf had said, he was tired, and the magic was already working to drain his remaining energy. Still, he lay down again and said in a teasing voice, “On second thought, keep standing there. I rather like this side of you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. You could work on your inhibitions and start taking off those clothes.”

Link barked a humorless laugh. “Is that so?” he said again.

“I’ll even join in,” Ganondorf continued.

“Mmmm.” Link was about to give up on the lantern. There was no oil left, and he couldn’t decide if he wanted to search for it in the light of Ganondorf’s magic. On one hand, his stubbornness goaded him to finish the job, and do it _right._ On the other hand, the orb of light was hard on the eyes after so long, and Link could tell it was tiring out the Gerudo. “I’m surprised, Gan,” Link said while he debated on the lantern. “I didn’t think you were one to reveal weaknesses.”

“What weakness?” Ganondorf asked.

Link smirked. “I have sway over you.”

Ganondorf chuckled. “As if you didn’t before.” His orb of light revealed Link’s confusion when the Hylian looked down, and Ganondorf continued, “I abdicated my throne for you.”

The realization came to Link’s face in as a slow wave of horrified emotion. His smirk faded into a trembling, thin line, and he hurried out into the rainy night without a word.

Ganondorf was slower to gain his feet, and he did so with much grumbling and a few curses of his own. His orb of light revealed that Link wasn’t far away, seated on top of a flat rock formation that rose to Ganondorf’s shoulders. The view in front of him was a foreign valley and mountain range. The last of Hyrule was a week’s travel behind their backs.

“Go away, _sant bregeta,”_ Link snapped when he heard Ganondorf’s heavy feet. He was sitting with his knees drawn up and his arms around them. He glared at nothing; he was already damp from the rain.

Link might not have minded the rain, but Ganondorf needed a cigarette. He ignored his tiredness and coaxed the rain way from him before pulling out the last half of an earlier cigarette from a pocket. A snap of his fingers lit the end with a lick of Din’s Fire. “So let me tell you a story.”

“I said go away,” Link repeated. 

“No, you’ll like this one. It has you in it.”

Link groaned and cursed in Zoran, which wasn’t an easy language for such; his accent was already getting better after only a week’s instruction. After plopping down against the flat rock, he stared up at the cloudy night sky, blinking often against the falling rain.

“So there’s this kid who grew up in the desert,” Ganondorf began around draws on his cigarette. “He has a good life--this is before his mothers try to turn it all to shit, mind. He learns a lot, and excels, and is happy. He fantasizes about the neighboring kingdom, and its golden power, and its beautiful Goddesses. Of course, he has his Goddess in the desert as well. So he grows up on a fount of faith. 

“And then… Well, you know what eventually happens.” Ganondorf took a last drag, crumbled the cigarette’s remains from his fingers, and fell to rolling a fresh one. “This kid’s mothers rip open his head and try to force a destiny on him. And every night after when he tries to sleep, his wonderful dreams of Goddesses and golden power are instead filled with darkness, evil, and another kid raising a sword against him.”

Link was listening; Ganondorf could tell by the stillness in his limbs. The Gerudo licked the length of his cigarette and rolled it closed. Din’s Fire flared again, and he took a bracing drag. “There’s a girl in this kid’s life-- _guy’s_ life, now. She helps him. She teaches him how to fight the nightmares, and shows him a way to avoid his imposed destiny as well. And it works. She does help him. And after a few years’ preparation, it was time for the guy’s final test. He sought out the person who carried the blood of the one from his nightmares.”

“I know the rest,” Link spoke up. He had closed his eyes against the rain.

“No you don’t. Now shut up and listen. I’m almost done.” Ganondorf puffed a few circles of smoke from his lips before he picked up, “This guy knows what to look for, and soon enough he picks up a trail of rumors and scandal that he knows can only belong to a hero reborn. He follows this trail, and it soon leads him to a little camp on a little hill where this wisp of a boy appears.”

“I wasn’t a boy,” Link grumbled.

“I said shut up,” Ganondorf said, and he resumed grandly, “There he stood--the culmination of generations of heroes, and he didn’t even know it. He certainly didn’t act like it either. He was whiny, and stubborn, and withdrawn. He was adrift--for you see, in abandoning his destiny the guy from the desert had sent this would-be hero off course. 

“But all of those realizations came later.” Ganondorf waved his free hand in a dismissive motion. “For a while, the guy from the desert doesn’t think much about those things. And after an awkward pair of meetings, he’s finally able to look at the little hero with clear eyes and take in the boy’s sternness, which was so much like Serhanaka, the desert Goddess. And he sees the light within the boy--the touch of Hyrule’s Goddesses. And the guy realizes--”

Link covered his wet face. “Don’t say it.”

“The boy is like a Goddess himself!”

Link sat up with a frustrated cry. “Shut up, _sant bregeta!”_ he yelled.

Ganondorf was laughing. “No, listen,” he pleaded when Link made to leave. “Listen.” Something in his quiet voice stilled Link, and Ganondorf was able to continue, “That was a joke, but only in part.”

“What’s your point?” Link snapped.

Ganondorf put aside the teasing. “The more I got to know you, the more I felt the same sort of reverence as when I first saw Serhanaka at her temple in the desert, or when I first learned of the Goddesses and their Triforce.”

Link refused to look at Ganondorf, and his shoulders were hunched. “What’s your point?” he repeated.

It was sometimes hard to tell when Link was being deliberately obtuse or not. He could be hard to read. “It means, little fish, that you certainly do have sway over me.” Ganondorf waited for Link to move or speak. He didn’t. “So if my teasing annoys you, or you’re pissed off at me, by all means let me know. Likewise, if I do or say something you like, or you want me to do something, let me know too so that I can do my best to please you like the pathetic, appeasing bastard I am.”

 _“Hmph.”_ Link’s fingers drummed against the rock. The anger in his face had subsided somewhat, and his shoulders were relaxed. 

Ganondorf waited for the inevitable tongue-in-cheek responses: Warm meals three times a day, daily horse grooming, exclusive rights to the tent… But Link was quiet for such a long time that Ganondorf became unsettled. He wondered what was putting the almost tense look into the Hylian. Was it something he had said? Perhaps his playful remarks in the tent and during his story were worse than he guessed.

When Link spoke up, Ganondorf nearly jumped, for a distant rumble of thunder accompanied it. “When I need my space, you need to give it to me. That’s all I ask of you.”

“You mean the tent? Done. We can pick up a second one in the next trading town we come across.”

Link shook his head and folded his legs. He stared down at the point where they crossed, and he gripped his knees. “No. I mean… Don’t panic if I disappear for a day or a week. Don’t come looking for me. Just give me my space.”

“Disappear?” Ganondorf repeated. “For a day or a week?” He flicked away the remains of his cigarette and crossed his arms. A frown was working its way over Link’s face, and he stubbornly kept his eyes down. “What in the Goddesses’ names do you mean by that?”

“It’s nothing personal,” Link said in a tight voice. “I just need solitude every once in a while, or I start to go crazy. You can ask Impa. I used to do it to her all of the time. It drove her nuts. I’m asking you not to worry like her when it happens. I’ll be fine. I just need space sometimes. That’s all. I just need space.”

“Why?” Ganondorf asked.

Link sighed, and his shoulders rose and fell. “I just… It’s hard sometimes, you know? To look at everything and hear everything and remember that…” His downturned gaze flickered. “Remember that I’m the last one. That I’m seeing what my tribe isn’t. And it just gets to be too much, so I hide. I go underground or in a cave, and it makes me feel better because it’s almost like…” He shrugged again.

“Like you’re dead,” Ganondorf guessed. 

Link swallowed, but didn’t say anything. He slid off of the rock formation and walked to the tent with a bowed head.

Later that evening, while Link slept in ignorance beside Ganondorf, the Gerudo dug out the gossip stone and lit up the tent’s interior with its blue glow. Link winced and stirred, but Ganondorf’s hand on his head for a second had the Hylian drifting into a deeper sleep.

Impa didn’t appear to mind being woken up; not when she heard it was about Link. She naturally panicked at first until Ganondorf urged for calm. “I just have a question,” he said, and he told her of Link’s request earlier that evening.

“It’s true,” Impa said around a yawn. “That two or so months he spent at The Fortress wasn’t the first time he disappeared without a word or trace. It happened a lot when he was much younger and new to the castle. It was only three months into him living there when he vanished for a week. We had soldiers looking for him every day. And one afternoon at lunch he just strolls up to the table and sits down! We never figured out where he had gone, but we think he was hiding in the castle. I mean, it’s so big--”

“And that was normal?” Ganondorf cut in.

“Well of course it’s wasn’t _normal_ normal, but it became normal for him.” She paused. “You have to know by now that what happened to his tribe rattled him in more ways than one.”

“Yeah, I know. _Shhh.”_ Ganondorf dropped a hand to Link’s head again, and the grimace left his face as his tense shoulders relaxed. 

“Nightmares again?”

“Every night.”

“You know…” Impa cleared her throat, and the gossip stone flickered. “Nabooru told me about the sleepwalking while Link was at The Fortress. Was it because he was near you?”

Her tone was accusatory, but Ganondorf couldn’t blame her for it. Not after what he had done. He looked to Link again; this time to the knot of scar tissue peeking out from beneath the Hylian’s crumpled nightshirt. “It’s very likely,” he finally replied. “I had my own troubles when he was there, but he doesn’t know that, so keep it under wraps for me, would you?”

Impa gave a sound of assent before asking, “Do I have to worry about him?”

Ganondorf laughed; it was a good thing Link was under a magical sleep. “When do you ever _not_ worry about him?” he asked good-naturedly. “Relax,” he continued before Impa could sting him with a sharp remark. “I know what can happen. That’s why I’m going to make sure he knows how to defeat me in case the worst occurs.”

“Good,” Impa said, and Ganondorf had to smile at the satisfaction in the word. “And don’t worry about the absences,” she added. “Just make sure he doesn’t get so wrapped up in his past that he neglects to eat or sleep--”

“Sounds a bit like me at my worst,” Ganondorf cut in with a chuckle.

“It’s not funny!” 

“I know, I know--Oh.” Ganondorf watched Link sit up. 

“What? What is it?” Impa’s voice was harried.

“He sat up,” Ganondorf relayed. Link was staring at the tent flaps with unfocused eyes. “He’s still asleep, though. Stubborn of him, getting through my magic like this all of the time. I don’t know how he does it.”

“You think that’s funny, too?” Impa asked, having caught his tone.

“It’s… intriguing.” Ganondorf propped his cheek against a hand and watched as Link opened and closed a fist. The Hylian spoke next in a slow thread of foreign sentences. 

“That’s Sheikan,” Impa revealed. “He’s talking to Rusl. That’s odd. Rusl didn’t know Sheikan.”

“Perhaps at _his_ worst times, Link falls back on what makes him feel safest,” Ganondorf suggested. “That would be you and your teachings, right?”

Impa was quiet for a while, and the next thing to come out of the gossip stone was a slight scoff. “You certainly know the right thing to say to a woman.”

Ganondorf smiled. “Goodnight, Lady Impa.”

“Goodnight,” Impa returned, and the gossip stone snuffed out. 

Ganondorf blinked away the afterimages from his eyes. It didn’t help him in the gloom of the tent, but he could sense Link. The Hylian’s presence constantly pulled at Ganondorf’s blood. “Link,” Ganondorf called into the dark. “It’s time to lie down now.” He yawned and lay down himself. “It’s time to sleep.”

Link lay down and curled up on his side of the spread blankets. Seconds later, he sat up again and stilled. Ganondorf watched him turn his head from left to right before he lay down again. When he made to rise a third time, Ganondorf clamped a hand down on his shoulder and pulled him back down. Link dropped with no resistance, and his head pressed against the Gerudo’s side. A shiver rocked his thin body.

This was the worst night all week. Ganondorf wondered if it was the rain. There was no progression to the nightmares’ intensity. There was only this unnatural spike in agitation. If there was no rain tomorrow night, Link would likely only suffer the initial tossing and turning, and maybe one nightmare. 

_Of course,_ laughed a cruel voice in Ganondorf’s head, _you might be the cause of it all._

“Of course,” Ganondorf whispered. He put a palm to his forehead and resigned himself to a sleepless night, marked by Link’s shivers against his side. 

**######**

**Translations:**

All of the following is Gerudian.

 _sant bregeta:_ Carried over from Blue Arrow, this is Link’s nickname for Ganondorf said at times in both jest and in anger. Its translation is ‘sand for brains.’


	2. Birthdays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few monumental moments are shown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is giving this story a chance!
> 
> Here's a proper first chapter for you all. I don't expect this story to be as long as _Blue Arrow_ so the chapters should stay around the 4k-6k range. 
> 
> Please enjoy, thanks!

# Undertow

### Chapter One: Birthdays

A pale blue sky hung over a white landscape streaked by the dark trunks of countless trees. The sun was still low, having only just rose, and long shadows mirrored the trees’ heights. Fresh tracks crossed the otherwise unbroken snowfall. A crack echoed over the stripped forest, followed by the _thump_ of a branch falling heavy with ice.

A blue spot moved up one of the tree trunks; a tunic marked on the hems with white symbols, and thinned from years of rough travel. The young man wearing it came to a thick bough and settled himself at the fork where it met the trunk. There, he blew at his fingertips, exposed above his gauntlets; they were newer. The bow he took into hand was a little older. The Gerudian _maclura_ wood that made it up creaked when an arrow was notched and pulled back. 

Link smiled a little at the sound, which never failed to cheer him. He was at ease in a tree with a bow in hand. A patch of red was moving into view from behind a low rise. A forest elk--a female. Link tracked the ruddy cow with his taut arrow. A quick glance at snow flying away from a branch above told him to account for a slight breeze. After adjusting and waiting for the elk to turn, he released. The arrow found her heart.

Link kicked up snow when he dropped the last six feet to the ground. Finally, he had something other than rabbits or fish to take to the nearby town. With what he would get for the elk, he would have plenty of rupees for fresh supplies--and a few extra things. 

These thoughts were on Link’s mind when he approached the elk, but he put them aside to kneel by the downed animal and offer a prayer of thanks for her departed spirit. The blood spilling out of her wound was cooling against the snow, but its scent was fresh enough. It filled Link’s nose when he removed and cleaned his arrow before tucking it into the quiver at his lower back. He would have to move quickly. The scent would soon attract--

Before Link could hoist the elk onto his shoulders, a growl dragged his eyes up. On the other side of the elk, a mere four feet away, stood a white wolfos. Its hackles were raised, and its head was low with the ears flat. Snarls slipped around the bared teeth, and the monster’s hunchbacked body was low as if in preparation to pounce. But Link saw the white wolfos’s tail was between its back legs. It was making a show, but in reality it was terrified. Link marked the fur and saw rough patches stiff with dried blood, and the monster’s low weight.

“All alone, huh?” Link murmured. He kept half of his attention on the monster’s oversized front claws while his numb hands struggled with the knife on his belt. “Did you lose your pack? I know the feeling.”

The white wolfos’s snarls spiked when Link moved the knife along the elk’s stomach. The Hylian made a shushing sound while he worked a portion of the hide away from the underlying muscle. The remnant warmth of the elk’s body loosened his fingers, and he was able to cut away a chunk of meat. “Here you go,” Link called, and with a whistle he tossed the meat over the elk. The white wolfos jumped back with a yelp. It slunk back after half a minute, hugging the snow, and took up the meat before retreating once more.

Link threw the elk over his shoulders and eased himself up onto his feet. Camp was a quarter-hour’s walk away, and the trading town was another half-hour on horseback. Link followed his footprints back to the cleared space where a tan tent was pitched between two trees. Not far from it, a low fire marked a spot between a line of hanging clothes and two horses standing close together for warmth. One was a brown mare, and the other was a black stallion. Both animals raised their heads at Link’s return.

A square mirror was nailed to a tree by the tent, and in front of it stood a dark-skinned man with red hair. He was built taller and sturdier than Link, and his eyes were yellow where the Hylian’s were blue. He was a Gerudo--a once-king--named Ganondorf. He and Link had developed plenty of history--largely good, but a little bad--between themselves over the past two and a half years.

“There he is,” Ganondorf greeted when he saw Link reflected in the mirror. He had a straight razor in his right hand. “You know, one of these days I’ll wake up and find you haven’t wandered off before the crack of dawn.” He ran his free hand over the stubble on his cheeks. “What do you think about me growing a beard?”

“No,” was Link’s immediate reply. His own face was clean-shaven. He lowered the elk to the ground close by the fire with a sigh of relief.

“Come on. Just a little chinstrap.”

_“Neh,”_ Link nearly snapped. “Why do you want a scratchy thing like that on your face? It’s not going to help your ugly mug.”

“You’re lucky I woke up on the right side of the tent this morning,” Ganondorf said with a humorless chuckle. He spied the elk in his mirror. “What are you doing with that?”

“I’m taking it into town.”

“You? Going to town alone? _Willingly?”_

“Not willingly,” Link corrected with a slight frown. “But there’s something I have to do today. I’ll be back before midday.”

Ganondorf turned around and spread his arms. “I don’t have any pressing engagements. I can come with--”

“No!” Link rushed to say, putting his hands up as if to ward Ganondorf off. It was the Gerudo’s turn to frown. “I mean…” Link dropped his hands and looked away from Ganondorf’s piercing eyes. “I can’t have you come with me today.”

Ganondorf’s expression darkened to shame, and he leaned his wide shoulders against the tree at his back. His strong arms folded across his chest, and he dropped his eyes as well. “Listen. If it’s about two nights ago…”

Link froze. Two nights ago, Ganondorf had taken him into a town that was now a day behind them. There was a bar, and he had drunk more than his fair share. Link didn’t understand the reason behind such lavishness until the next day, but that was after the Gerudo got wrapped up in memories that weren’t his. After returning to camp, Ganondorf attacked Link. The Hylian had spent the night in a tree with a hand clamped around a deep cut in his forearm while Ganondorf bellowed drunken hatred at “the Hero” through half of the night. 

It wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened during Link’s and Ganondorf’s journey together, but it was one of the worst times. Fortunately, it was short-lived. A few hours before dawn, Ganondorf had regained himself. He reached Link’s high hiding place through a bit of sorcery, and he collected the woozy Hylian before the loss of both blood and sleep could send him tumbling out of the tree. After healing the wound with sorcery and leaving Link food and water, Ganondorf had disappeared into the surrounding woods. 

Link shook the memory from the forefront of his mind and forced away the gloom on his face. “It’s not that,” he assured Ganondorf, and the Gerudo cautiously raised his eyes. “I just have to do something.”

Ganondorf sighed. “Well, at least take Kara with you in case you run into trouble--or cause it.”

‘Trouble’ could mean anything from attracting monsters to the town, to getting into a fight. Link tried for a smirk, but failed halfway. He whistled for his loyal guay, and she flitted down from a nearby tree to perch on his shoulder. Kara preened her dark plumage while Link tied the elk across Epona’s back. The mare was used to the smell of blood, so she stood still.

“When you get back,” Ganondorf called before Link could climb into the saddle. “I think we should give another crack at practice.”

The word sounded innocent enough, but Link knew what it meant, and it dropped ice water into his gut. His shoulders tensed, and he shook his head.

“Link--”

“Not today,” the Hylian nearly begged. He didn’t turn around, but kept his eyes and hands on Epona’s saddle. “Not today. Today is too important, and I don’t want to ruin it.”

“Why’s it important?”

Link hoisted himself up into the saddle. “You’ll see when I get back,” he promised with a weak smile at Ganondorf.

The Gerudo didn’t return the expression. “All right, but that means tomorrow is a practice day _and_ a talking day. Got it?”

Link’s smile dropped, and he turned forward without a word. He rode away hunched over, and he relaxed only when camp had grown to a pinprick behind him. Epona was following a path through the woods marked by a lower level of snow. The path soon joined with a wider road where the white fluff was pressed down into gray slush. Hoof and foot prints crowded the road alongside the straight lines of carriage tracks. 

People and animals passed by Link in both directions. He answered their greetings with polite nods. The Blue Arrow didn’t exist out here, so he was unafraid of confrontation. That didn’t mean Link’s troubles were gone. He still attracted monsters, and he didn’t like going into town alone because he had a knack for stirring up dissent. But today he had to. He couldn’t bring Ganondorf along because it would ruin the surprise. 

Nabooru had told Link the secret yesterday. He had called her after regaining some strength and sleep from his blood loss. Ganondorf was still Goddesses-knew-where, so Link had some privacy to take out his gossip stone. Its glow was more white than blue when he activated it, for it was now linked to not one other stone, but two. Nabooru had the third stone of the set, given to her by Impa so as to keep in contact with Link and Ganondorf as much as the Sheikah and Zelda did. Link only had to call Nabooru’s name, and the stone came to life; flickering with the background activity of The Fortress.

Nabooru listened in silence to the story of Link’s harrowing night. After being reassured he was all right, and promising to keep the tale away from Impa’s and Zelda’s ears, she asked a strange question. “Did he do something like this the same time last year?”

Link strained to compare the current time to last year. Both times were on the line between winter and spring, although last year there wasn’t as much snow as this time. In fact, grass had started to poke through the unfreezing ground. Link remembered it had cheered him up. Winter was his least favorite season. He liked the quiet it brought, but not the ice that froze over the ponds and lakes, and chilled the rivers. And with this reminder of coming spring, he had…

Link winced. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I had to get away for a few days. I needed space to think. When I got back, Gan was only happy to see me in one piece.”

“Well…” Nabooru cleared her throat. “It’s his birthday tomorrow.”

“What?” Link couldn’t help but smile. “No way!”

Nabooru’s next words wilted Link’s smile. “He doesn’t like to remember it,” she continued. “You know--because of what his mothers did to him around his twenty-third.”

Link recalled the curses and screams at “the Hero”, and similar lapses Ganondorf had made into his inherited memories. “Do you think he’ll try to hurt me tomorrow?”

“No,” Nabooru said at once. “It’s always been a once-and-done thing. If he’s regained himself already, you shouldn’t have to worry about him hurting you unless something else sets him off.”

Link relaxed. “Great!” he said with a renewed smile. “So, does he like cake?”

Ganondorf did in fact enjoy the occasional dessert. Fortunately for Link, the nearby town had a thriving marketplace. After getting the elk’s worth in rupees, he first topped off the supplies he and Ganondorf needed. Kara was left outside with Epona when Link ducked into a bakery. He reemerged into the sunlight some time later with a paper box in his hands, tied with red string.

Now only a gift was left, and Link took his time perusing every available shop and stall. There was little he had never seen before, and he passed on clothes, weapons, and tools with increasing disappointment. The sun was getting higher. He would have to head back to camp soon, or Ganondorf would begin to worry and try to find him.

Link took a right onto the final turn in the twisting marketplace; Epona walking beside him and thus keeping the press of the crowd at bay. The road ended in a dead-end alley, but there was a stall against the left wall. It appeared to offer an array of varying goods from different lands. Link spied Gerudian script, and he hastened to the stall. 

A heavyset woman dressed in brown and gold was in charge of the goods. Her hair was hidden in an elaborate head piece, and she greeted Link with a smile and a string of foreign words. _“Yadot uoy era woh?"_

It wasn’t Hylian, Sheikan, Gerudian, or Zoran--Link knew all of those fluently now, and the woman’s words certainly weren’t a part of any of them. _“Jesaypa,”_ he tried; telling the woman he didn’t understand. She titled her head and frowned in confusion, and Link sighed. He nodded and smiled instead. She understood that, and gestured at her elaborate assortment of goods.

Link’s attention dropped to the Gerudian script his sharp eyes had spied. It was a circle of words on the edges of a small medallion that was hung on a beaded necklace. Both the medallion and the beads were made of bone; the words were burnt into the larger circle, and other symbols marked each bead. Link had recognized the Gerudian characters’ shapes, but he couldn’t read the language. However, he was familiar with the image burned onto the other side of the medallion well enough. It was Serhanaka in her usual pose: crossed-legged and arms out with a snake around her body.

Link picked up the necklace and held it up. He tapped its medallion and tilted his head in question. He hoped the woman knew the Gerudian name for it, and that would tell him what it was.

“Ha!” The woman brightened. _“Ecalkcen reyarp a si taht. Semoh rieht ni slodi akanahres decalp odureg eht erofeb semit tneicna ni desu saw ti.”_

“Right,” Link muttered. He tried not to show his disappointment. In any case, the object was clearly Gerudian. How it had come here, so far from Hyrule’s closest border, Link didn’t know. But he had hopes it would make a good birthday gift. He tapped the inside of his right forearm with two fingers. It was a universal way of asking, _How much?_

This translated well with the woman. She answered back with a swipe of three fingers up and down her forearm. _Thirty rupees._

Link smiled at the price. He gave the woman two red rupees and disinclined the change when she offered it. She repaid him with a kiss to his hand.

Link’s errands were done, and nothing had gone wrong. He returned to camp in a much lighter mood than the one he had left in. Kara flew ahead of him to where Ganondorf sat cross-legged by the fire. “Please,” she chirped, and the Gerudo offered her some of the cheese and bread he was eating.

“No trouble, I see,” Ganondorf said when Link slid out of the saddle. The Hylian shook his head. “Do you need help unloading?”

Epona’s saddlebags bulged with new supplies, but Link shook his head again, more furiously. He unpacked the supplies with quick hands and was careful to hide a pair of boxes in a place Ganondorf would have no reason to look. The necklace was placed snug beside them. Link had a spare bit of burlap that he would use to wrap it the first time he was alone.

After lunch, camp was readied to be broken down the next morning; the two men would be moving on after breakfast. They had no destination in mind, and had wandered similarly aimlessly through their two-odd years together. They had seen everything from untouched pieces of paradise to cities thick with people. They had fought monsters and sickness, and various seasons; and often, their own doubts and fears. And they still stood strong at each other’s sides.

When the sun began to sink beneath the horizon, Link wordlessly brought out the first of the hidden two boxes. Ganondorf’s eyes widened at the slab of beef that Link speared and seasoned over the fire. They hadn’t had such in over two months. Without being asked, Ganondorf sent the beef spinning above the fire and picked up half of the potatoes that Link was cutting into a pot on the other side of the flames. The thuds of the pieces hitting the pot’s bottom were the only sounds for a while until the hiss of the beef chimed in. 

“All right,” Ganondorf spoke up once the potatoes were cooking. “What’s the occasion?”

Link smiled a little and wiped his knife clean against his pants. He got up without an answer, and Ganondorf listened to him dig around in the pile of supplies and saddlebags. Link returned with a small package in one hand and a paper box balanced on the palm of another. He presented the box to Ganondorf, who opened it to find a small cake inside. The words ‘Happy Birthday’ were written in red sugar against the cake’s white frosting.

“Who told you?” Ganondorf asked. Link smiled wider. “Nabooru. I’m going to give her an earful the next time she calls on us.”

“Oh come on!” Link said with a laugh. “Here, maybe this will cheer you up.” He handed over the package with a hint of hesitation, and his eyes stayed fixed on Ganondorf’s hands as they unwrapped the gift. 

“Oh.” Ganondorf lifted up the necklace in both hands; the medallion swung. “Link… This is certainly something.”

“Do you know what it is?” Link asked. “The woman who was selling it tried to tell me, but I couldn’t understand her.”

“It’s a Gerudian prayer necklace,” Ganondorf revealed. He shifted around the fire to Link’s side and indicated the beads that lined the necklace’s length; the Hylian leaned in. “Back before my people began keeping idols of Serhanaka in their homes, these necklaces were used in religious rituals. But even then it was only by our highest priestesses because the beads and medallion are made of dragon bone.”

“No way,” Link gasped. 

“Way,” Ganondorf said with a laugh. “The symbols and image burned onto the bone had to be done through special magic because dragon bones can only be marred by other dragons. So these necklaces are very sacred. The priestess would run her thumb along these words here and speak them aloud.” Ganondorf did exactly this, passing the pad of his thumb over the circle of Gerudian script on the back of the medallion. _“Ict sawo oftan eowt._ It means ‘I open my soul to you.’ You’re welcoming Serhanaka into your heart so that she might ease your sorrows. With that said, you move counterclockwise from the Serhanaka side of the medallion and twist each bead a quarter-turn--also counterclockwise--while speaking the direction each symbol represents.” 

Ganondorf turned the medallion over and twisted the first four beads to the left of Serhanaka’s image. _“Nordta, sund, ost, hespert._ North, south, east, west, and so on. This shows Serhanaka the way into your heart. When you get to the other end, the prayer is complete, and then Serhanaka will guide you.”

“Wow,” Link whispered. “So it’s that same pattern all the way around?”

_“Neh._ The pattern goes north, south, east, west, east, south, east, north. Then it starts again with north.”

“Huh.” Link tilted his head. “And why counterclockwise?”

“Because time means nothing to a Goddess.”

“Of course,” Link said with only minimal dissent in his tone. “So, did I do good?”

“You did very well. It’s a beautiful gift.” Ganondorf dropped the necklace around his neck, cupped Link’s face in both hands, and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. _“Ictam gernat,_ my little fish.”

Link pulled his head free with a bit of a frown, but returned, _“Eowt wiluma.”_

“Although I don’t deserve this after the way I treated you,” Ganondorf added.

Link groaned while rolling his eyes, and he got up to check on their dinner. Ganondorf had added a bit of magic to the fire, and the food was already finished cooking. Link divvied out his and Ganondorf’s portions while the Gerudo saw to the horses’ meal. Kara shared in Link’s plate, but she was shooed away from the cake when it was cut. Ganondorf exclaimed at the sight of the strawberries that stuffed the middle of the cake. Fresh fruit was another luxury he and Link had missed the past three winter months.

“I can’t wait for this snow to melt,” Ganondorf remarked around a mouthful of cake. “I hate this stuff. Makes me wish I was buried in sand at home.”

“You didn’t get snow at The Fortress?” Link asked. He licked his fork clean and at once speared more cake onto it.

Ganondorf laughed. “We were lucky to get rain outside spring.”

“Maybe I should teach you the Regn Dance,” Link teased with his own laugh. 

_“Neh,_ we had wells. And our own songs, too.” Ganondorf flicked his wrist, and a lute appeared in his hand. He had picked it up not long into his and Link’s journey. He was a surprisingly good singer, but Link was fonder of the lute’s sound. He had fallen asleep to it more than once. “Because the spring brought rain, it was one of the most important parts of the year to us. We welcomed it with a week-long celebration.”

Ganondorf began plucking a few notes out, and Link waited for him to start singing. But the deep words never came, and Link eventually said, “The Regn don’t have words to their dances, but the Sheikah do. I learned some from Impa, and when I visited the Sheikah village.”

Ganondorf frowned and plucked a chord. “What Sheikah village?”

“The one I’m not supposed to tell you about,” Link replied with a smirk. Ganondorf mimed locking his lips, and Link laughed. “I took an oath,” he explained. “I can’t tell you much about it. It’s important to the Sheikah, so…” He shrugged, but he looked almost ashamed.

“I understand,” Ganondorf soothed. “Do you think I’ve told you everything about the Gerudo? So what’s this song about?”

“Hmmm.” Link looked to the saddlebags, got up, and walked over to rummage through them. He returned to the fire with his ocarina in hand; the one Kukiel, Sakura, and Malon had given him at a picnic years ago. “I have to think on it,” he said to Ganondorf. “Give me a minute to remember it.”

Ganondorf fell silent and strummed here and there at his lute. Occasionally, Link would play a few quiet notes with his ocarina as if in search of a tune. Ganondorf began to repeat them on his instrument, which cheered Link and appeared to help him remember.

“Okay,” Link finally spoke up. “I got it. I’ll translate it into Hylian, so it won’t rhyme anymore, but I think it’ll work. Play this on your lute.” He blew into the ocarina, and eight slow notes stretched out of it. It was an almost somber melody; the lute gave it a bit of life when Ganondorf strummed and plucked it out.

Link listened to the notes for a few bars with his eyes closed and his head bowed. He didn’t look up through the song, but his fingers moved in a small, intricate dance as if he was conducting the music himself.

_“The snow has melt,_  
The sun is wake,  
And in the ground the seeds do stir.  
The light falls on the earth,  
Wakes up the flowers,  
And spring has come.” 

“Hey, look at that.”

Link opened his eyes, and his downturned gaze caught sight of green shoots pushing up through the ground in front of his folded legs. He yelped and scrambled back while Ganondorf broke into laughter. Kara flew above the campsite, voicing her _ree-ree-ree_ cry, and the horses neighed.

“What is that?” Link nearly shrieked, and he gestured at the shoots. “You did that!”

Ganondorf wiped a tear from his eye and shook his head. “I didn’t,” he chuckled.

“Yes you did! With your magic--making me look like a weirdo!”

“I did not,” Ganondorf repeated. He laughed a little more and picked up his lute. “Sing it again--in Sheikan this time. Let’s see what happens.”

“No!” Link shouted, and Ganondorf’s mirth faded. “I shouldn’t be able to do this! I’m not Sheikan!”

“It’s probably your blood,” Ganondorf explained in a calm voice. “I’ve told you before you have more than one thing kicking around in it. You have enormous potential.”

“Potential for what?” Link snapped. “For hurting people? For causing problems?” He crushed the shoots with a boot and whirled around to disappear into the tent.

Ganondorf sighed and strummed the start of a new song. He sung low while he waited to see if Link would reemerge. But the Hylian stubbornly remained in the tent. Ganondorf cleared away the remnants of their dinner before relieving himself in the now-dark woods. The supplies were secured from scavengers with a few spells, and he ducked into the tent to find Link lying on his side, staring at the canvas wall. His expression was blank.

“Hey,” Ganondorf called. He crouched down next to Link and snapped fingers in the Hylian’s face. “Come on, stay with me, Link. Don’t go off into your head. You scare me when you do that.”

Link batted away the fingers and frowned. “Did you call on Impa already?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you always do when I don’t act normal.”

“You freaked out because some leaves grew when you sang a song. That’s a perfectly normal response. I watched them grow, and I was freaked out myself.” Ganondorf straightened up and hunted for his nightclothes. He changed while Link brooded. “Are you going to sleep in those clothes?”

“Sure, why not?” Link replied with a shrug of his free shoulder.

“It’s time to get rid of them, Link,” Ganondorf continued. The tunic and undershirt were no longer thick enough to disguise the jut of Link’s bony shoulder blades, and the hems were so worn they were splitting open. 

“No one around here makes Regn clothes,” Link argued.

“Then you wear something else,” Ganondorf countered. “You see, _normal_ people wear different clothes.”

“I’m not normal.”

“And I’m not using sorcery to fix those clothes anymore.”

Link hunched his shoulder and frowned at the tent wall. He felt Ganondorf drop down beside him, but he didn’t return a goodnight, and his frown only faded when he was too deep into sleep to maintain it.

By that time, Ganondorf had wet his hand with a bit of water from his water skin. It was lukewarm; sorcery and shared body heat kept the cold out of the tent. Link sucked in a shuddering breath when Ganondorf’s palm fell against his brow. The tent faded to the crossroad in the Hylian’s mind: a barren landscape with a simple house in each cardinal direction. This was a familiar place to Ganondorf by now. He no longer had to search in vain for the right memory. Now he allowed Link’s subconscious to push him to the east, and he stepped into a village few knew existed.

Amongst all of the red-eyed people, one blue-eyed boy stuck close to a grey-haired Sheikah woman’s side. He was ten, and a little less fearful than the eight-year-old Ganondorf once witnessed in another memory. Impa looked younger than her current self, but not by much; the Sheikah aged well. In fact, it was difficult for Ganondorf to place the age of most of the people milling about the village square. 

Impa and Link were crossing the square to a stone house that sat on a small hill. Around them, people spoke in Sheikan. Ganondorf had never bothered to learn the language--he didn’t want to put Link in the awkward position of hiding something like that from Impa--but the memory translated the words into Hylian, Link’s native tongue. 

The people called out to Impa as she passed by, and she answered them with a return greeting and a bright smile. She was thrilled about something. Ganondorf had never seen her look so happy. He followed her and Link to the doorway of the stone house. 

Before going inside, Impa stopped Link and knelt down in front of him. “You remember what you’re supposed to do?” she asked in Sheikan. Link nodded. “All right.”

The memory shifted forward, blurring to black before brightening to the inside of the stone house. It was in truth a wide hall. Sheikah were sitting down in a circle that stretched almost to the walls. Impa joined them, but only after directing Link to sit down in the middle of the room, alone. Ganondorf saw the anxiety creep into his eyes when he was placed in the center of attention. It was mirrored within the memory, giving the edges a tremble.

A woman with a gray braid stood up once her fellows were seated, and she said, “Let those who see, open.”

In response, a man stood up with a shallow clay bowl in his hand. He moved along the circle, and at each individual he thumbed red paint out of the bowl and marked a simple eye and tear on the person’s forehead. He moved with experienced efficiency, and Link watched him as much as he could without moving from his position; the boy had an expectant look on his face. But when the man sat down without having drawn an eye on Link’s forehead, the boy shot a fearful look to Impa, who ignored him.

The meeting began, and the subjects focused on the village--its livelihood, its residents, its ties to Hyrule as a whole… Link sat quiet and mostly still throughout the discussions, but he stiffened when the woman who had opened the meeting addressed him directly.

“So you are the Regn child,” the woman said. “Impa has told us much about you.” The various Sheikah glanced at Link before turning back to the woman. “My name is Ouga. Is it true you want to become a member of our tribe, boy?”

Ganondorf watched Link’s small throat move as if preparing to speak. But the boy’s mouth never opened. A look of alarm crossed his face before his lips were barely parted, and he shrunk into himself.

“Hmmm.” Ouga looked to Impa. “It seems everything you told us is correct. The child is reluctant to utter a single word.”

“He chatters on in Sheikan well enough,” Impa returned with a fond smile.

“Well then.” Ouga turned back to Link. “Tell us what you’ve learned of our tongue, boy.”

Ganondorf understood now--partially because Link’s memory was filling in the blanks. He couldn’t speak without permission, and permission came in the form of the eyes drawn on everyone’s foreheads but his own. But it went beyond being forbidden to speak. The words kept Link’s mouth shut even when food and drink was passed around. Ouga herself offered him a plate and cup, and he only stared at it as it sat in front of his folded legs. 

The meeting carried on around Link, and when it adjourned he continued to sit in the hall, for no one escorted him out like Impa had seen him in. The lanterns were turned down, and darkness fell over the hall. The door closed off all hints of sunlight.

Ganondorf moved the memory ahead to the next morning. It brought another meeting to the hall, along with Link’s hunger and thirst sitting heavy on the memory. When the people filed in and were marked with the eye, Link was once more ignored. When he was addressed, he answered only in silence. He had pissed his pants during the night, but no one offered him fresh clothes.

Another day crept by, and it ushered in a third day and meeting. The edges of Link’s memory trembled harder than before, and the noise and images faded in and out whenever Link closed his eyes. His tongue stuck out a little between dry lips, and the memory tilted.

Ganondorf expected Impa to raise concern, or at least look alarmed. But she ignored Link with as much ease as her fellow Sheikah, and she left the hall alongside them when the meeting adjourned. Link swayed and fought the urge to pass out.

This was worse than what Ganondorf had gone through in his childhood. At that time, he had faced his trials alone, but he was able to use his skills and resourcefulness to pass them. Link was surrounded by people that could and would help him if he only opened his mouth… But to do so would be to put aside his only chance at becoming a member of the Sheikah tribe.

The hours passed into night, and Ganondorf wondered when Impa would rush into the hall to save her _lytel rabeta._ But it was another who slipped in amongst the shadows, edged over to Link with a shallow bowl in hand, and marked an eye on his bowed forehead.

Link raised his head with a gasp, and a cup with a small amount of water was pressed against his lips. He drank it down, and a little more was offered to him, poured into the cup from a jug. A broth was offered next from a second bowl, and the memory spoke of a medicinal taste. Link’s back straightened, and the tremble left his body a little more with each swallow. An hour later, a kiss was pressed to the now-dry symbol on his forehead.

“You’ve done Impa proud, child,” Ouga whispered. “You have mastered silence and darkness, and we welcome you into our fold.”

Ouga helped Link out of his soiled clothes and into fresh ones marked with the Sheikah symbol. He struggled at first, for his legs were numb. Ouga woke them up with a few Sheikan words, and once Link was presentable she led him out of the hall and to the heart of the village. There, the Sheikah were gathered within a ring of high torches.

Ouga stopped in front of the crowd and placed a hand on Link’s shoulder. “Do you see this child?” she called to her fellows.

“We see him,” the group answered as one. Their joined voices sounded eerie.

“Do you see his sincerity?”

“We see it well.”

“See this child!”

“We see him!”

_“See the truth of him!”_

_“We see it all!”_

Ouga’s hand was clamped hard on Link’s shoulder, but now it relaxed. “Let those who see, open,” she said in a much softer voice, and she looked down at Link.

Link looked up at Ouga before turning to the crowd as a whole. He knew he had to speak; he had to _open._ He fumbled for the words, and settled on, “Hi.”

A ripple of laughter moved through the crowd, and Impa’s arms opened within it. Link ran into them, and Impa picked him up, and the Sheikah moved in to praise Link and pass names, but it was the humming in his ear that he heard the loudest; a familiar lullaby. It coaxed him to sleep, and the memory pushed Ganondorf back out into the crossroads.

Ganondorf opened his eyes onto Link’s sleeping face to find he wasn’t sleeping anymore. He looked up from beneath Ganondorf’s hand with polite surprise. When Ganondorf didn’t move his hand in time, Link pushed it aside and sat up. He frowned at empty air. “Is this what you do every night? Look into my memories?”

“Not every night,” Ganondorf answered. “Only when I’m the most concerned.” Link uttered a sleepy scoff. “I’ll stop if you want me to.”

“Will you?”

“I will.”

Link shook his head. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “I don’t mind. You don’t want me slipping back into the void of my mind, right?” Ganondorf nodded. “But you’ve said before I can’t find my way back anymore.”

“You shouldn’t be able to push through my magic, either,” Ganondorf countered. “Yet here we are.”

Link yawned. “Stupid blood,” he said as a final word before he lay back down.

“Stupid blood,” Ganondorf repeated in a low voice, and he lay down as well.

**######**

**Translations:**

_maclura:_ [Gerudian] A tree found in the Gerudian desert.

_Neh:_ [Gerudian] No. Also used as a question tag at the end of a sentence.

_Ictam gernat:_ [Gerudian] I thank you.

_Eowt wiluma:_ [Gerudian] You’re welcome.

_lytel rabeta:_ [Sheikan] Literally translated as “little rabbit,” this was Impa’s pet name for Link when he was a child.


	3. Open Minded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Ganondorf find a new way to connect, and danger finds them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we introduce... the antagonist. He's pretty fabulous, if I may say so.
> 
> Please enjoy, thank you!

# Undertow

### Chapter Two: Open Minded

The morning brought an empty spot beside Ganondorf in the tent; normality. Ganondorf welcomed it, and he left the tent in a better mood than when he had entered it the night before. Outside, Link’s half of the camp was already packed away and readied for departure. Ganondorf completed his half after refreshing himself. Kara found him while he was rolling up the tent; she preceded Link’s return. One moment the Hylian wasn’t there, and the next moment he was; fastening Epona’s saddle.

The camp was left behind, and a course was set for beyond the nearby village. It was always beyond. They had never plotted their way. Only curiosity and instinct drew them in one direction or another. This particular day, Link was quiet most of the time. He wasn’t a fan of winter. Ganondorf often found him casting a longing look at any pond or stream they passed by--all frozen over. He didn’t cheer up when Ganondorf reminded him spring was only a month or so away.

Camp was made a few hours before sunset. Link’s mood dropped significantly after dinner, and it was with reluctance that he took a seat across from Ganondorf and placed his palms in the Gerudo’s open hands. The smaller, paler set shook and drew away after barely a second’s touch. 

“I don’t want to do this,” Link said. He folded his arms and hid his hands under his armpits. 

“You never want to do this,” Ganondorf reminded him.

“I just don’t see why it’s necessary.”

“I told you--I could go off on you at any time. You must know how to defeat me.”

“I know how to handle myself!”

“Prove it to me.”

The goading didn’t always work, but today it did. With a scowl, Link dropped his palms into Ganondorf’s, and the snowy camp fell away into darkness when both of their minds came together. They entered a joint mind space--something Nabooru had taught Ganondorf how to create. Thus, it was largely under his control. 

Link was seated in the camp with Kara perched on his head, but his mind stood in a black space. He waited for the chosen location to emerge. It did so slowly, fading in with a roar of water. 

Oh, how he _hated_ this one.

Link whirled around, raising the shield that was now on his arm. His feet kicked up water from the shallow layer of it atop the tower. Beyond the roof’s edge, more water poured down from the sea that was slowly drowning out everything.

Two blades fell against Link’s shield and were at once whisked away to come back around at him in a whirl of steel. Link blocked a second time and was pushed back a step. The water splashed against the back of his shin, shockingly cold. He could smell the salt in the air, and taste it on his lips when his and Ganondorf’s actions kicked up the water. It distracted him. He didn’t see the battle. He saw a quiet, peaceful beach with sand under him and the tide pushing against his bare feet. There was no battle; no obligation. Ganondorf sat beside him in harmony.

Recalling this memory pulled Link out of his and Ganondorf’s shared mind space. He couldn’t concentrate on the battle, and a blade found him in his distraction. He jerked back into focus to find a spread of red in the water surrounding his fallen body.

The tower and sea faded away into darkness, and Ganondorf’s voice snapped out, “Focus!” 

Link stood whole once more, stiff with dread. His earlier animosity towards the exercise was gone. Fear and anxiety had taken its place in his nerves. He watched a throne room manifest out of the darkness. Royal banners hung in tatters on the walls, and the throne itself was displaced.

The punch came out of nowhere, and it struck Link’s raised shield with a dull sound. He retaliated with his sword, but he didn’t put much heart into the attack. It was slow and missed Ganondorf by a foot. Magic came next; a large ball of it, powerful and dark. It struck Link in the chest, and he fell to the ground, breathless. 

He hated these feelings. Helplessness. Fear. The clenching in his chest. He was better than this… Just not when it came to people. Not when he had to hurt someone. So he didn’t fight back when Ganondorf’s hand grabbed his collar, lifting him, while the other hand clamped around his sword arm and ripped it off.

The injury wasn’t real, of course, but within the mind space Link’s brain thought it was. It filled in the pain, bright and loud, that shocked him back into the darkness. Disapproving silence met him there, and with a shake in his body he waited for the next scene to fall into place.

A pitched Hyrule Field, sky darkened by twilight, materialized. An angular, yellow barrier kept Link confined to a round space. Ganondorf was confined with him, and the Gerudo wasted no time closing in with a long sword. The blade shined with a sickly light. Link blocked it with a shield, but his sword stayed at his side. 

Ganondorf’s face spoke of his displeasure with Link. He pushed and provoked the Hylian to attack; to do anything but block. But here goading was useless. In this mind space, Link’s fears pressed in closer against him. They struck him dumb, and he was too slow to react when Ganondorf circled around him and plunged the sword through his exposed back.

Link looked down at the sword cutting its way through him. He felt his torn heart panicking against the steel, and the hard edges of pain setting in. He backed out of the mind space before it could hit him fully, and he got up from the ground as sudden as if he was stung. When Ganondorf opened his eyes, it was to see Link standing with his forehead braced against a tree, and his arms crossed.

“I don’t want to practice anymore,” Link said when Ganondorf drew close to him. His shoulders hunched, and he scrunched his eyes against tears. “I don’t want to practice ever again.”

“You always say that,” Ganondorf reminded him.

“I swear this time!”

“You always say that too. You want to know why you can’t keep that promise?” Ganondorf pressed a finger into Link’s back, slightly off-center. “It’s because you feel that familiar tug. You’re compelled to follow the thread to its end.”

 _“What_ end?” Link hissed. 

“I’m sure we’ll see one day,” Ganondorf replied. His hand moved up, and he patted Link’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s talk a little.”

Talking was even lower on Link’s list of favorite things than practice was. It took a lot of prodding on Ganondorf’s part before Link would open up about his past. Inspired by what he had seen the night before, Ganondorf decided to ask more of the Sheikah.

Link was fiddling with the necklaces around his neck; a shell and a blue arrowhead. He looked up from them in surprise at the question. It was usually the Regn tribe Ganondorf was asking about. “The Sheikah were always kind to me,” Link began. He smiled a little and looked into the fire. “I only ever went to their village with Impa, so after I ran away I stopped going.” The smile slowly fell away, and he went back to his necklaces. They clicked together against the campfire’s crackles. 

“Did they help fill the void your tribe left behind?” Ganondorf asked, delicately. Always delicately.

Link frowned, and his hand dropped to the bracelet around his wrist. The bells threaded into the leather straps that made it up chimed softly. “Once I ran away, I no longer considered myself a part of any group. I was all alone, after all.” He paused; waiting for Ganondorf to contradict him. The Gerudo said nothing, so Link continued, “I liked being alone. I didn’t have to worry about anyone getting hurt around me.”

“And now?” Ganondorf prompted.

Link shrugged. “I… It’s nice, being with you on this journey,” he admitted. “You’re there when I need you, but you give me my space when I need it more. I appreciate that. But I think there’s the same sort of difference between you and me like there is between me and Zelda.”

“I’m not a king anymore,” Ganondorf reminded Link. 

“No, I don’t mean class-wise. Not really.” Link frowned, unable to find the words.

Ganondorf chuckled and asked, “You want to be a Gerudo, do you?”

“I… What?” Link was surprised by the suggestion. He looked at Ganondorf with a slight blush in his cheeks.

“This distance you feel--we’re not the same race.”

“I don’t care about--”

“I know. But a stronger sense of unity would be good for us. It could help when we encounter…” Ganondorf’s hand twirled as he searched for the best word. “… _problems_ between each other.”

“I don’t have a problem with you,” Link said.

“That’s one of the problems.”

Link frowned and looked away. Ganondorf waited for him to speak first. It was a while before he did, and it was with reluctance. “Is… Is it hard? Becoming a Gerudo?”

“For an outsider, not really,” Ganondorf assured him. “Not as hard as it was for you to be welcomed into the Sheikah. There’s an initiation, but nothing life-threatening.”

“And I can do it?” Link asked next, raising his head a little out of its usual slouch. “I mean, I’m not exempt?”

Ganondorf laughed at the question. “We’re a group of people with roots tied into thievery and war. No one is exempt.”

Link’s smile was cautious. “Okay. So what do I have to do?”

“First,” Ganondorf began, and Link leaned forward, “get some sleep.” Link slouched and grumbled. “It’s something that has to be started in the morning, and in a fitting place, no less.” Ganondorf looked around at the dark landscape. “This isn’t really a good place, though. When we come across one, I’ll let you know.”

“What sort of place would that be?” Link asked.

“A spiritual one,” Ganondorf answered, and Link scowled a little. “I’ll let you know.”

‘A good place’ didn’t show up the next time Link and Ganondorf moved on, or the time after that, or the time after _that._ Eventually, the initiation fell to the back of Link’s mind, and he turned his focus towards the start of spring. One day, the sight of tulip leaves pushing up through a thin layer of snow cheered him so much, he ran to find Ganondorf and show him. 

But the sign was premature. A heavy snowstorm forced Link and Ganondorf to strike camp for three days. Ganondorf put up magical barriers around the camp to protect it and the horses, but they were unable to push on or even hunt the whole while. When the storm finally broke, and the snow melted enough to allow travel, Ganondorf and Link backtracked to a town they had encountered a day before the storm. There, they resupplied themselves before continuing their aimless journey.

One morning, Link woke up late, which struck him as odd. Odder still was Ganondorf’s absence from the tent, and the camp beyond. Torrent was still around; Link gave both him and Epona a pat before he noticed footprints in the snow leading from camp. They were as large as Ganondorf’s feet.

Something in Link’s gut told him to follow the footprints, so he tracked them through the woods surrounding camp for a quarter hour until the trees pulled away, and a stone staircase was revealed. It rose high up to the entrance of a blocky structure--a temple. On both sides, poles were hung with red pennants that stood out sharply against the wintery surroundings. The breeze tossed their lengths into Link’s face while he climbed the stairs. At the top, to the right of the entrance, Ganondorf sat with legs folded and hands together. A small ring of stones kept a ball of Din’s fire in place. It flickered against the base of a suspended, hand-sized pot that gave off a sharp smell. 

Ganondorf’s head was bowed in apparent prayer, but he looked up with a smile when Link stopped in front of him. “Still want to become a Gerudo?” he asked, and Link nodded after a slight jerk of surprise. “All right. The first step is meditation. You’ll need to do that in the temple, but before that you’ll need to drink this.”

Ganondorf pulled the pot away from the small fire and stood up. It was pushed into Link’s hands, and the Hylian was surprised to find it was cold rather than hot. The liquid inside had a purple sheen on its surface. Link looked up from the liquid with a distrustful expression on his face. “This is odd mushroom.”

“Good eye,” Ganondorf praised with a smile that wasn’t returned. “It’s harmless in small doses,” Ganondorf continued. “You just need to take a few sips. It will help you to open your mind.”

“That’s the last thing I need,” Link grumbled, but he didn’t offer the pot back. After taking a deep breath, he raised it to his lips and gulped down the minimal contents. 

Ganondorf led Link into the first room of the temple. Two halls branched off, but they were blocked with fallen rubble. A hole in the ceiling let in the day’s growing light. Link sat beneath the hole and folded his legs. The odd mushroom was already kicking inside him. His skin was beginning to burn as if in fever, and his breaths were growing shallower. He reached out for Ganondorf. “Gan…”

But Ganondorf was gone from the room. Link swallowed and looked around. He was supposed to be opening his mind, but what then? Was there a sign? Did he need to wait until the drug wore off?

The surroundings were twisting; the stone walls were coiling as if they were disturbed water. The sunlight overhead felt too hot; too bright. Link closed his eyes against it and bowed his head. His hands were growing numb. They couldn’t feel the strands of hair when they clutched at his temples. A pain deeper than a migraine was growing there. The pain radiated through his body, pulsing and clenching around every soft spot it could find. Link gasped for air. That breathless feeling… How he hated it.

The anger came clear through the pain and fear, and with it Link was able to see a shining spot within the darkness of his scrambling thoughts. He sought it out on instinct, and the ruined temple fell away to a quiet wood. It was dark here--not from night, but from the trees pressing in together. Their branches overlapped high above, creating a thick canopy. This wood was unfamiliar to Link. It felt older than any place he had come across. Emptier as well; not a single bird sang, or insect buzzed. 

But there was the crackling of a fire and an orange glow within the dark wood. Link followed the glow to a broad tree and circled around it to find a man sitting within a small camp. He was older than Ganondorf with graying blonde hair and a healed scar that crossed behind an eye patch over the right eye. Little more than a bedroll and a rucksack were around the fire, along with a small pile of purplish mushrooms. The fire gave off a sharp smell.

The man caught sight of Link, and his worn face broke into a smile. “Ah! I’ve been chucking mushrooms into the fire for almost an hour now. You took your time, didn’t you? Sit, sit.”

Link sat down opposite the man. The fire cracked and popped between them.

“So you’re my guide, aren’t you?” the man asked. Link tilted his head in question. “Out of this place.” The man waved a hand at the pressing trees.

Link shook his head. He was no guide. He didn’t even know what ‘this place’ was. He was in a ruin only a minute ago. How had he come to be here?

The man’s face dropped with disappointment. “I see. Another lost spirit. I’ve come across more than one, and if I don’t get out of here I’ll be joining their ranks.” He laughed sourly. 

Spirit? Link frowned. He had heard of spirit traveling before. The Sheikah and Gorons were particularly good at it. The odd mushroom must have knocked him into a state of mind to allow him to spirit walk.

“You’re a quiet one,” the man remarked, and Link jerked out of his thoughts to look across at him. “You seem familiar, too. Are you sure you can’t help me? Ah well…” The man looked away before Link could begin to answer. “It’s all right. I accepted my death a long time ago. I only wish I could have passed on my knowledge to another. But what about you, little spirit? What makes you hesitate to accept your death?”

The man thought Link was dead. Link frowned and shook his head. It took a surprising effort to speak. “I don’t fear death.”

“Hmmm.” The man scrutinized Link through narrowed eyes. “You’re a strange spirit. So if it’s not fear keeping you here, it must be your past. You can’t let go of it, can you?”

Link had to admit to this with a nod. 

The man smiled. “It’s all right,” he assured Link. “I still hang on to this old thing.” He pulled something blue half-out of a pouch on his waist. “But a flower in full bloom, while rooted to the ground, will still eventually wilt. It shouldn’t be afraid to be plucked from its roots so that others may enjoy its beauty before it perishes.”

The words made an odd bit of sense to Link. He vowed to try and keep them in mind. He usually wasn’t one for advice such as this, but the man ignited a strange feeling of familiarity within him. It was almost as if Link was looking at another version of himself.

The man cast a small smile at Link next. “You’re a strange spirit,” he repeated with another scrutinizing look. “Very familiar…” He paused before asking, “What’s your name?”

Link answered, but the word fell against the cold stone walls of the ruined temple. The walls no longer twisted, and the pain was gone from his head. There was feeling in his fingers when he pushed himself up onto his feet. He walked out of the temple to find Ganondorf sitting by the entrance, just as before. He invited Link to sit down, and he offered a cup.

“It’s only water,” Ganondorf said when Link hesitated. “So tell me what you saw.”

After wetting his throat, Link relayed all that he had experienced on his spirit walk. He spoke of the strange man, and the feeling of familiarity that surrounded him. He reiterated the advice given, as well.

“It’s good advice,” Ganondorf remarked. “You’d be smart to keep it in mind.” Link took another sip of water and said nothing, and Ganondorf continued, “You’ve passed the first part of your initiation. You reflected upon yourself and gained knowledge.”

“Myself?” Link’s eyes widened, but he had no opportunity to question further. Ganondorf had taken a thick needle in hand. He motioned for Link to lean forward, and the needle punched a hole into the Hylian’s left ear, a short distance above the blue hoop there. Ganondorf licked a bead of blood from his thumb before he placed a gold hoop in the new hole. 

“Now for the second and last part,” Ganondorf said, and he pulled a shallow clay bowl into his hand. It was filled with red powder. A bit of water from Link’s cup gave the powder a paint-like consistency. “This part should be easy for you,” Ganondorf explained while he mixed the bowl’s contents. “As soon as this paint touches your skin, you take a vow of silence for the rest of the day. You can’t speak again until dawn tomorrow. Easy, right?” He smiled when Link chuckled. 

“Something else, too,” Ganondorf went on while he traced thin lines on Link’s face with the red paint. “You can’t raise any hands or weapons in battle during your vow of silence, and you can’t eat meat or eggs. You can’t soil yourself with blood, get it?” 

Link nodded and focused on the familiar touch of Ganondorf’s finger as it drew symbols and lines on his neck and collar. It was a soothing touch.

“These symbols are a beacon,” Ganondorf explained. “They catch the goddesses’ eyes.” He chuckled when Link frowned. “Once you have passed this second part you’ll be recognized as an honorary Gerudo, and you’ll earn your other earring.”

Link nodded again, and he stood up along with Ganondorf.

“Come on,” the Gerudo said, and he started down the stairs. “I’m starving.”

After breakfast--Link had only bread and cheese--the two men broke down camp and moved on. Link wasn’t sure if the ‘beacon’ was working to catch the Goddesses’ eyes, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched as he rode. The feeling grew so intense once, he spurred Epona up to Torrent’s side and kept pace with Ganondorf. 

“What is it?” Ganondorf asked when Link drew close. Link pointed to his eyes before moving the hand out to indicate the surrounding plain. “You think we’re being watched?” 

Link nodded, his lined face uneasy, and Ganondorf studied their surroundings. He also checked for strange energies, but there was nothing in the expanse of snow, or in the trees beyond. “There’s nothing out there,” he assured Link. “Maybe you’re still off from that odd mushroom.”

Link wasn’t convinced. When he and Ganondorf reached a forest an hour later, he jumped from Epona’s saddle into a tree. Ganondorf halted his horse and Link’s, and he called after the Hylian. Link ignored him, climbed up to the top of the tree, and took in the view on all sides.

“You’re wearing me thin,” Ganondorf said when Link returned to Epona. “You don’t trust me? I told you there’s nothing following us.”

Link frowned at his saddle horn. While he trusted Ganondorf’s intuition, his own was telling him something was wrong. But with no evidence in sight, he could only chew on the feeling while he and Ganondorf traveled. 

Camp was struck close to sunset, and with it the feeling raising the hairs on Link’s neck went away. He relaxed for the first time in hours, and he was able to smile at Ganondorf’s jokes and stories over dinner.

“I’ll pretend I don’t hear you talking in your sleep,” Ganondorf teased when Link made to retire to the tent to sleep. Link tossed a hand back, and Ganondorf laughed. The tent flaps closed, and for a minute the lantern within threw Link’s shadow across the canvas walls before it was snuffed out.

Ganondorf pulled out the gossip stone from amongst his and Link’s saddlebags, and Nabooru’s sleepy voice responded when he called her name. 

“It’s almost dawn here, Ganondorf, what did I tell you about the time difference?” Nabooru chastened gently. 

“I just thought you might want to know our little fish will be an honorary Gerudo in a few hours.”

“Is that so?” Nabooru said around a yawn. “Did you fail to tell him it’s only girls who are inducted?”

“Ah, it’s all right,” Ganondorf replied with a smile to himself. “He wouldn’t mind if he knew.”

“Hmmm.” Nabooru’s sigh dulled the stone’s light a little. “When are the two of you coming home?”

She asked this at least once a month. Usually Ganondorf couldn’t give her an answer, but this time he thought on the question a little longer. “Maybe soon,” he answered. “I think this initiation was good for Link. He’s been opening up a lot more these past few months. This might be what breaks the dam and helps him clear his conscience.”

“Let’s hope,” Nabooru added. “Let me know tomorrow when he passes so I can congratulate him. And for the Goddesses’ sakes keep the hours in mind.” 

“You like it when I keep you up,” Ganondorf teased. 

“It’s not the same when there’s a rock between us,” Nabooru returned. She wished Ganondorf a good night, and the stone went dark.

Ganondorf put out the fire and ducked into the tent. Link was asleep within it. The paint on his face and neck had dried not long after it was applied. Now it was crumbling around the creases in his skin. Ganondorf brushed the looser stuff away before dropping onto his bedroll and reinforcing the warming magic within the tent. He closed his eyes, and it felt as if only seconds had passed when he opened them onto a colder, and emptier, tent.

“Link?” Ganondorf called, and he sat up. Link’s side of the tent was cold, and the flaps were open. The magic on the tent only worked if its flaps were closed. Link knew that, so if he had only gone to relieve himself, he would have closed the tent flaps behind him.

Ganondorf pulled on his boots and grabbed his coat before he left the tent. The camp was cleared of snow, but footprints began on the left edge. Ganondorf cursed when he saw the imprint of bare feet. Link was sleepwalking--a rare occurrence, but one that always seemed to happen at the worst times. Ganondorf coaxed a ball of Din’s fire into his hand and followed the footprints into the woods. He wanted to run, but his larger feet would kick up the snow and possibly obscure the path. With his mouth set in a grim line, Ganondorf forced himself to walk, keeping both eyes open for Link.

#

Link opened his eyes onto a dark wood. At first, he thought he was once more spirit walking. But no warm glow of fire beckoned him on, and he recognized the trees that surrounded camp. 

But there was something else in the trees beckoning him. It was similar to the feeling Link had felt all day; the feeling of someone watching him. He resisted the pull at first, but it strengthened, and he was compelled to walk deeper into the wood. It was a long walk, and five minutes into it Link could no longer feel his feet. He stumbled several times, and fell into the snow once, face-first. After gaining his feet he wiped his face clean, and most of the dry paint on it came off with the snow.

The trees parted after a half-hour’s journeying, and Link stopped to survey the small clearing he had come to. It was more or less unremarkable save for one detail: a set of wide stone doors standing near its far end, supported by only a frame.

Or at least it looked like a set of doors. However, when Link inspected them he found no seams, and the doors resisted any effort to move them, or tip them over, despite the fact that no part of them was buried in the ground. Link fell to tracing the Triforce crest carved into the door, but stopped when he felt the watching feeling increase. He spun around, and his eyes landed on a slender figure standing in the snow. 

The person appeared to be male with grey skin and a close-fitting, white outfit accented with a wide, jeweled belt. A red, high-collared cloak sat on him with tapered ends. White hair hid some of his face, but Link could see an eager expression, and thin lips quirked in a mocking smile.

“They told me I would find you here,” the man said after Link had studied him. “Drawn to the door like a dog drawn to garbage. Well, this makes my job--and revenge--easier.”

The words had a haughty edge to them. They also spoke of scorn, danger, and maliciousness. Link stood still and began to study the area for possible escape routes. The door might help if he could get it between himself and the man. With enough of a head start, he could climb up into the trees and out of reach. But one thing he couldn’t do was fight, or call for help. He would fail initiation if he broke those rules.

The man conjured a thin black sword out of midair in a flash of diamond-shaped light. “You can make things easier and just stand there while I beat the life out of you.” He pointed the sword at Link. “Or for fun, you can pretend you have a chance and fight back.”

Link flexed his toes, but it did no good. He couldn’t feel his feet in the cold snow. He hoped he wouldn’t stumble while escaping, but how was he supposed to climb a tree if--

The man moved blindingly fast. One second he was cocking his sword back at his side, the next a blur was racing towards Link. The moonlight wasn’t enough to show the man’s movements, and the black blade sliced into Link’s right arm. He bit his tongue before a scream could escape him, and he tasted blood. More of it pumped down his arm. It warmed his fingers when he clasped a hand over the wound; a small comfort.

The man’s momentum had carried him past Link and almost into the door. Link spun around to face him, and a sharp slap drove him down to the ground. Snow puffed up around him, but its cold was lost against his numb body. He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, and a foot swung out to connect with his stomach. 

“When your miserable ancestor condemned me and my master, I never dreamed I would get the chance to _thank you.”_ The man’s foot struck the underside of Link’s chin next, and his teeth snapped together. 

Link rolled away with his mouth clenched around a cry of pain. He scrambled to his feet and made to run, which seemed pointless now after witnessing the man’s speed. He ran regardless, but not for long. A gloved hand snagged his ponytail, and he was dragged back down to the ground. A foot braced against his shoulder, and when he made to roll away a second sword plunged into the ground to the right of his head, shaving off the splayed sidelock there.

The man leaned heavily on his braced foot, and Link squirmed. The first sword was in the man’s right hand, bouncing, while he studied Link. “Blue looks good on you,” he remarked with a toothy smile. “Much better than that disgusting green, but not as good as red will look.”

The man was speaking as if he knew Link, but the Hylian had never met him before. Did it have something to do with the ‘miserable ancestor’ he mentioned? Just how old was this person?

A sneer crossed the man’s face when Link neither moved nor replied. “You’re a lot duller than the other brat.” He sighed. “And here I thought I could drag this out. But if you want to be a spoilsport…”

The sword moved in a blur, and a sharp pain cut through Link’s cold nerves. He looked down, eyes wide, to see the thin blade sticking out of his stomach. Blood was blooming around the entry point, and Link felt similar warmth at his back. It had cut straight through.

The blade was extracted, and the man licked blood from it. His lips paused in their smacking, and he frowned. “Surely you’re of the brat’s line. So why don’t you fight back? Where’s the rage I saw all that time ago?”

Link rolled away from the blade by his head and scrambled to his feet. The man allowed him to stagger a few steps before his blade cut into the back of an ankle. Link’s leg collapsed, and he dropped to the ground once again. The sword plunged through his back before he could try to stand.

Link bit his lip and looked between his braced arms to see the sword point sticking out of his chest. It retracted and struck him again, and the man’s weight drove him down into the ground. 

“Spineless… little… whelp…” The man punctuated each word with a stab. One blow cut through Link’s right lung, and he no longer had to worry about biting back screams. As the sword bit down again and again, Link had time to wonder if Aryll had felt a similar pain. He closed his eyes and waited to be reunited with her.

A set of boots crunched to a stop in front of Link. He lifted his head and looked up through darkening vision at Ganondorf. He managed a smile, and his fingers left a smear of red atop the Gerudo’s boot. 

Ganondorf crouched by Link and at once fell to whispering as many spells as he could manage in the shortest amount of time. The man with the sword backed away, looking stunned, but Ganondorf ignored him for now. His magic stopped Link’s bleeding and kept him from the death that was creeping in. But it wasn’t going to be enough to save him on its own. 

“Master?” the man said while Ganondorf worked. “Master. Master Demise!”

Link was sleeping, or unconscious, or worse… Ganondorf finished his spells and stood up. The man took a step back at the sound of the Gerudo’s cracking knuckles. 

“Master,” the man repeated in a shaking voice. “Master, it’s me--your loyal lord. Ghirahim--” The name ended in a yelp when Ganondorf grabbed for him. His hand closed around an array of diamond-shaped light instead. Ghirahim had disappeared.

Ganondorf scanned the area. Nothing unusual stood out. Ghirahim was gone for now--and with hope, forever. Ganondorf returned to Link, and his anger broke down into fear. Now that he had the time to actually study the wounds, he found them numerous, and all of them went straight through. 

Link was in stasis thanks to the magic on him, but it couldn’t last forever. Before long, the spells would start to hurt him as all the suspended bleeding backed up into his body. He had an hour at most. That was enough time to get him back to camp, but after that…

“Goddesses damn it, little fish, this isn’t right,” Ganondorf hissed at Link’s closed face. “Why can’t you just stay put instead of wandering off, huh? Huh?” Fighting back tears, Ganondorf lifted Link out of the snow and carried him away from the empty clearing.


	4. Uncanny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link wakes up and soon a third person is added to the group. But it's hardly a good thing in Link's eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> This chapter introduces another new character! I hope you enjoy him. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

# Undertow

### Chapter Three: Uncanny

The grass was as soft as down. Link recognized it, but he could only feel it. His eyelids were too heavy to lift, and the rest of his body ignored all commands. But he could hear voices around him, and feel light touches. He recognized them, too. It was torture to be unable to respond or even open his eyes, and he would have cried had he the strength. 

The torment didn’t last. Awareness faded away, and for a long time Link hung in darkness. When awareness returned, it was for only short bursts of time; glimmers of light in an otherwise dark sea. Sometimes he heard Impa’s voice, and Zelda’s. He heard songs and whispers, but also rage. He felt fingers around his throat. At these times, Link sensed death circling him; looking for an opening to move in and tear him apart. Years ago, he would have welcomed it. Now he hung still and hoped to avoid notice.

When the dark sea pulled back, it did so all at once. Link opened his eyes onto a pitched roof of canvas backlit by the morning sun. A bedroll pressed against his back, which he could feel. The numbness from the snow was gone. Link sat up with slow care and looked down at his bare chest to see how his wounds were healing.

The wounds weren’t only healed, they were scarred over. Link traced a few of them, marveling at Ganondorf’s magic. He moved his left hand around his side and felt similar scars on his back; the mirrors of those on his chest. 

Link’s right hand was tied up--literally. He studied the loops of beads that held his and Ganondorf’s hand together. Serhanaka looked up at him from the medallion against his palm. Ganondorf was asleep, so Link extracted his hand with care before standing up.

Only he couldn’t stand up. His legs were asleep. Link smacked and rubbed at them, but no feeling returned. He sneered and swung around to crawl out of the tent, pulling himself along with his arms. He pushed aside the flaps, and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of the expanse of flowered green in front of him.

A bee buzzed by and landed on a flower, which dipped beneath the insect’s weight. Link watched the bee turn atop the flower before flying off, covered in pollen. It was spring. How was that possible? It was winter yesterday. 

Link pushed himself back into the tent and crawled up to Ganondorf. “Gan,” he hissed while shaking the Gerudo’s shoulder. His voice felt unused, and it was an effort to shout, “Gan!”

Ganondorf jerked awake, saw Link, and at once pulled the Hylian into a tight embrace. “You’re awake!”

Link struggled on instinct, but Ganondorf’s grip was tight. When Link felt tears on his shoulder, he grew limp.

“It’s been two months,” Ganondorf sobbed. “You wouldn’t wake up for two months…”

“What?” The word barely made it out of Link’s mouth. 

“You were asleep all this time,” Ganondorf explained. He sniffled in Link’s ear. “I thought after you were healed you would wake up… Goddesses, I was so worried.”

Link couldn’t wrap his head around the words. Two months? Two _months_ asleep? It seemed impossible, but the signs were all around him. But it could have been a lot worse, he knew. He could still be in that dark sea.

Link patted and rubbed Ganondorf’s shoulders. “I’m okay,” he said. Saying the words helped him. “Can you let go of me now?” Ganondorf did so, and Link looked down at his sleeping legs while his skin relished the warm breeze coming through the tent flaps. “That man…”

“He called himself Ghirahim,” Ganondorf said. He wiped away tears, took in a deep breath, and released it. When he spoke again, his voice was stronger. “He’s been sniffing around a couple times since he attacked you, but he’s kept his distance.” 

Link looked towards the tent flaps, but Ganondorf pulled his attention back with a hand on his chin. “Listen, little fish, I’m sorry for not believing you when you said someone was following us. If I had only listened--”

“Someone sent that Ghirahim guy after me,” Link cut in, and Ganondorf broke off his apology. “He said, ‘They told me I would find you here.’” It was funny how he remembered the words, but to him they were said only last night. “Someone knew I would be drawn to the door.”

“What door?” Ganondorf asked, and Link told him of the stone doors he had encountered. “There were no doors in that clearing,” Ganondorf said when Link was finished describing them.

“They were there,” Link insisted. “I saw them. I touched them.”

“Little fish, you were suffering from a dozen wounds.”

“This was _before_ Ghirahim attacked me!”

“Then why didn’t you call me, huh?” Ganondorf snapped, and Link fell silent. “And when Ghirahim attacked, why didn’t you scream, or fight back? Huh?”

“I didn’t want to break my vow,” Link explained. “You said--”

_“You were dying!”_ Ganondorf roared, and Link cowered. “I carried you back to camp and felt the life leaving you bit by bit! You’re lucky Impa had her gossip stone on her. She helped me bring you back. But you didn’t wake up. You just lay there…”

All at once, the strain and fear of the past two months came into Ganondorf’s face. His shoulders slumped, and his head dropped. A weak curse left his lips.

Link had never seen Ganondorf like this. He waited to see if the Gerudo would say or do anything else. When he didn’t, Link relaxed out of his cowered position and stretched his arms out to wrap them around Ganondorf’s shoulders. “Thank you for saving my life,” he said. _“Ictam gernat.”_

The words shocked Ganondorf. As far as he knew, it was the first time Link was thankful for avoiding death. He couldn’t make it a big deal. It would ruin the significance. He wrapped his arm around Link in return and dropped his hand to the Hylian’s thin waist while saying, “Well, if you’re that thankful I know a way you can pay me back.”

Link pulled away and smacked Ganondorf over the head. “Don’t get any ideas, _sant bregeta!”_ He noticed the chinstrap at that moment; a thin line of red hair that traced Ganondorf’s jaw and chin. “Oy! What did I tell you about growing a beard?”

Ganondorf feigned ignorance. “I believe you said you like scratchy things on my face.” He pushed Link down with sudden enthusiasm and brushed his beard against the Hylian’s neck. Link cursed and pushed at Ganondorf’s shoulders until the Gerudo pulled away, laughing. But as soon as Link sat up again, Ganondorf pulled him into another embrace. “I’m so glad to hear you complaining again!”

Link blushed. “Get me to a pond or something,” he ordered with a red face. “I want to feel water, and I have to wake up my legs. And don’t forget the gossip stone. I want to talk to Impa. And where’s my bow and arrows? I’m never leaving those behind again…”

Ganondorf carried Link out of the tent along with the Hylian’s bow, and the gossip stone. Epona neighed at the sight of him, and she trotted over to press her nose into Link’s face. Link patted her and kissed the stripe of white hair on her head. 

“She scared me more than once, sticking her head in the tent to check on you,” Ganondorf said, and Link chuckled within his arms. “Come on. There’s a small pond this way. Barely more than a puddle, though.”

It was a wide pond, but shallow--only enough for Link to submerge his legs and waist. But he smiled when he ran his hands through the water. Kara preened and cleaned her feathers on the bank. 

Ganondorf waded out into the pond and knelt by Link’s outstretched legs. “I’m just going to help them along,” he explained. His hands hovered above Link’s knees. “That all right?”

“Of course,” Link said, and Ganondorf’s hands dropped. “Why are you asking like that?”

Ganondorf’s hands moved up Link’s legs from ankle to thigh, and back down again. Each pass brought a little more feeling to the Hylian’s legs. While he worked, Ganondorf asked, “Do you remember anything from when you were sleeping?”

“Not really,” Link replied after some thought. “Nothing clear, anyway. Just voices and touches, I think.”

“Mmmm.” Ganondorf’s thick eyebrows pressed together. They relaxed when Link’s hand fell on his head. He sighed and admitted, “I… I struggled a lot while you slept. You just lay there, and all I kept seeing in my mind was this stupid destiny that keeps hanging over our heads. I wanted to…” He gulped. 

“Put an end to it?” Link suggested in a quiet voice.

Ganondorf’s head nodded under Link’s hand. He pressed a wide palm against the medallion that hung from his neck. “If it hadn’t been for this… Whenever I found my hands wanting to…” He swallowed again. “I prayed. I prayed to Serhanaka, to the Golden Goddesses--even to the Triforce itself--and it worked. It worked every time.” 

Link’s legs were fully awake. He wiggled his toes and bent his knees, and Ganondorf pulled his hands away. But Link’s hand lingered, and he threaded his fingers through the Gerudo’s hair. “I admire you for your faith,” Link murmured. “You make it so easy to pray, to put your fate in the Goddesses’ hands, to seek counsel from those who refuse to answer--”

“They answer if you pray and listen hard enough,” Ganondorf cut in. 

His voice sounded strangely tight, but Link ignored it to pat Ganondorf on the head. “You did a good job all on your own.”

Ganondorf chuckled, squeezed Link’s knee, and straightened up to walk out of the pond. “It’s good to have you back, little fish,” he said with a pat on Link’s head in return.

#

They stayed at the same spot for another day, during which Ganondorf caught Link up on all that had happened in the past two months. It wasn’t much, as he hadn’t dared to move camp while Link was comatose. Once everything was told, Ganondorf offered Link his second earring. He was an official member of the Gerudo tribe “a dozen times over” as Ganondorf said. Alongside the earring was the remaining Regn tunic. Ganondorf had cleaned and fixed it after Ghirahim’s attack. Putting it on lifted Link’s spirits.

Link spent some time giving Torrent, Epona, and Kara some much-wanted attention while Ganondorf broke down camp. Whenever Link offered to help, Ganondorf insisted that he relax. The Hylian learned to stop asking, but it didn’t discourage him from saddling the horses.

The warmer, brighter environment cheered Link more with each hour on horseback. When he and Ganondorf reached an open field, he spurred Epona into a gallop that took him to its far end and back. Both horse and rider were better for the run. But Link’s good mood evaporated when he later felt a watching sensation at the back of his neck. He whipped his head around, but the path behind him was empty. He called to Ganondorf, who was a few paces away, before spurring Epona to him. 

“Ghirahim?” Ganondorf asked when Link told him of the feeling.

“I-I don’t know,” Link replied. There was a tremble in his voice. He swallowed a knot in his throat. “It feels a little different.”

“Different how?” Ganondorf pressed. 

“I don’t know,” Link said again. 

There was a collection of rocks to the left of the path, and the thick underbrush surrounding them rustled. Link and Ganondorf turned towards the source of the sound. Epona voiced a nervous neigh. 

Link whistled sharply, and Kara fluttered to his shoulder from Torrent’s head. “Go see,” Link whispered, and the guay shot off towards the underbrush with a _ree-ree-ree_ cry. Link had taught her how to flush out hidden game a year ago. Kara chirped and repeatedly dove at the underbrush, and whatever was there fled away from the path. The guay returned to Link, who gave her a small piece of softened jerky as a reward. 

“Probably a rabbit,” Ganondorf said. He turned Torrent towards the path once more, and Link followed on Epona with frequent looks back.

Two days more of journeying brought Link and Ganondorf within sight of a town. They made camp on a hill overlooking it and visited the town the next morning, upon which Link made to break away from Ganondorf almost at once.

“Hey.” Ganondorf’s heavy hand clamped down on Link’s thin shoulder. “I don’t want you wandering off.”

Link scowled over his shoulder at Ganondorf. “I’m not a child.”

“No, but the last time you got away from me you nearly died. Stay with me.”

“I’m not unarmed this time!”

“Link!” A few people turned to stare when Ganondorf barked the name. He ducked down and put both hands on Link’s shoulders. “Please,” he pleaded. “Humor me today.”

Link pushed off Ganondorf’s hands, but he didn’t walk off. With a sigh of relief, Ganondorf straightened up and fell into the flow of the market crowd. 

Link followed behind with arms crossed over his tunic. He answered all of Ganondorf’s questions with short words, but it didn’t deter the Gerudo from continuing to ask them. Together, they visited numerous stands to resupply and gaze with curiosity. 

Link’s mood improved with each stop, but it soured again when he and Ganondorf came to a chu jelly stand. The man running it had a live chuchu in a glass box on display. When Link drew near, the chuchu threw itself against the glass side closest to him, and the box fell over to shatter against the ground.

The crowd screamed when they saw the chuchu, and they backed away. Shards of glass stuck out of the slug-like monster, adding another layer of danger to its hunger. 

But it was slow. It couldn’t get away when Link charged it with his short blade in hand. The blade plunged into the monster again and again while the shopkeeper pleaded for its pet’s life to be spared. Onlookers gave Link a wide berth, and screamed and fled when chunks of chuchu flew at them.

The shopkeeper entered the fray and attempted to stop Link from doing anymore damage. The chuchu was more than halved its original size, and all attempts to flee Link’s blade were stopped by either the Regn Hylian himself, or the stone street that offered no way underground. When Link swung his blade towards the man, Ganondorf shoved the Regn Hylian away with a heavy boot. The man was pulled back, and in the wake of a fierce tirade rupees were offered for the now-dead chuchu. The remnants of the crowd dispersed with the best of the action over. 

Link had vanished with the crowd, but Ganondorf was able to follow a trail of blood drops to an alley where the Regn Hylian had taken refuge. He was seated on an empty crate, and was busy digging shards of glass out of his left arm. The white sleeve pushed up his arm showed rips and blood in its folds. 

“I-I didn’t mean to--” Link watched Ganondorf kneel in front of him. “I didn’t want anyone to be hurt,” he explained on the edge of tears.

“Link, you were going to attack that man,” Ganondorf pointed out.

“No! I wasn’t--”

“Link,” Ganondorf interrupted quietly, and Link ducked his head. The Gerudo raised a hand over Link’s outstretched arm, and small pieces of glass rose out of his wounds. The same hand moved up Link’s arm, and the cuts healed over without a trace. “Tell me what you were thinking. Take a deep breath,” Ganondorf added, for Link’s chest was heaving fast. 

Link nodded, slowed and deepened his breathing, and closed his eyes. “I couldn’t think,” he admitted after awhile. “I know what I should have done--I remember what you taught me about chuchus--but I couldn’t do it. I heard the screams and saw the monster, and all that came to mind was Silbarine… and I felt him.”

Him. In their talks, the rage that so often blinded Link, and had once changed his form, had taken on an entity of its own. Link called it the Fierce Deity, or simply _him._ Ganondorf wasn’t fond of this personification of Link’s anger. It had taken the place of the Dark Wolfos in the Hylian’s thoughts. Giving it a body and mind of its own fed into Link’s feelings that the grief and anger was insurmountable. It was a person of its own now--and he wouldn’t kill a person again, he had vowed.

Ganondorf sighed and felt the tremble in the arm between his hands. “I want you to go back to camp.”

“No!” Link shook his head. “I want to stay with you. I don’t want to sit at camp all day. Gan, please! _Pletre!”_ His hands pulled at Ganondorf’s shirt when the Gerudo straightened up.

Ganondorf ran a hand over his face and snapped, “Then you stay with me! And if we encounter something like that again, you let me handle it. _Undesta?”_

Link nodded, and he followed Ganondorf out of the alley in meek silence. He kept his head down to avoid the occasional stare from people who recognized him from the earlier fight. When Ganondorf spoke to him, he answered softly; almost hesitantly. 

The return ride to camp was a welcomed relief. When Link rejoined with Epona at the hitching post where he had left her, he took a minute to bury his nose in her mane and breathe in her familiar scent. He gave her an apple to enjoy while he loaded her with half of his and Ganondorf’s purchases

The ride itself was quiet, but near the end Ganondorf surprised Link by saying, “We need to figure out some way to get rid of this monster attraction of yours.”

“I don’t think we can,” Link said with a shake of his head. “You’ve already tried your sorcery.” 

“Blood magic might work…” Ganondorf glanced at Link’s tight face. “Never mind.”

Link nodded in agreement before his head jerked up. He hissed at Ganondorf to stop, and the Gerudo pulled his horse to a standstill. A small distance of trees separated them from camp. Through the trunks, Link could see the tent and a line of hanging laundry. He could also hear the sounds of rummaging. “Something’s in our camp.”

“Yeah.” Ganondorf could hear the sounds as well. “What do you think?”

“It’s not Ghirahim, I think,” Link said with obvious relief. “It feels like what I felt on the path the other day.”

“You’re thinking that wasn’t a rabbit?” Ganondorf asked, and Link nodded. “A monster, maybe?”

“An intelligent one,” Link tacked on. “Maybe a bokoblin.”

Ganondorf slid out of his saddle and patted Torrent’s nose. “I’ll go see,” he volunteered, and he vanished from sight. Link neither heard nor saw him move away, but he heard the cry of alarm when Ganondorf caught whatever was at the camp. 

Link jumped out of his saddle and ran to camp where he found Ganondorf holding a small boy up by his ankle. The child looked less than ten years old, with dark hair and green eyes. He was dressed in ragged clothes, and a chunk of bread was clutched in one of the hands that were trying to strike at Ganondorf. 

“You were right,” Ganondorf said around a grin while the boy protested and swung from his hand. “It is a monster.”

“I am not, I am _not!”_ the boy cried. His empty fist banged against Ganondorf’s thigh to no effect. 

Link bowed over and turned his head to the side to study the boy’s face. There was something familiar about him… 

The boy caught Link staring, and he was struck dumb. He stopped struggling, and his arms lowered to swing at the ground. “Are you my hero?” he asked.

Link frowned and straightened up. “Will you run away if Ganondorf puts you down?” he asked, and the boy shook his head. “Gan, let him go.”

Ganondorf turned the boy right side up and lowered him to his feet. The boy at once rushed to Link in a limping run and hugged his legs. Link almost fell over, but he regained his footing and stared down at the boy in confusion. “Who are you?” he asked.

“The nice lady called me Ravio,” the boy answered. His face was scrunched up in a smile against Link, and his embrace was tight. 

“Nice lady? What nice lady? Was it your mom?”

“No, it was the nice lady who told me to find you. She said you would take care of me because you’re my hero.”

Link looked to Ganondorf for help, but the Gerudo was just as confused. “Do you know him?” he asked Link, who shook his head. “He looks familiar, though.”

Link agreed with a nod and looked down at Ravio. “Hey, can you let go?” Ravio released Link and took a step back, and Link crouched down to study him. “He’s Hylian. Six years old? Seven?” Ravio shrugged. “You don’t know anything about yourself besides your name?”

“I used to be a rabbit!” Ravio exclaimed with glee, and Link’s face grew more puzzled. “But you shot me with an arrow!”

_“What?”_ Link stood up and took a few steps back. “He’s delirious,” he said to Ganondorf. “Who is he?”

“I’m Ravio,” Ravio repeated. He quailed a little when Ganondorf stepped up to him. 

“First things first,” Ganondorf began, and he gestured at Ravio, “the kid’s hungry. Let’s get an early lunch together, and we can take things from there.”

Link retrieved the horses and emptied their saddlebags while Ganondorf cooked. Ravio tried to help Link at first, but Link’s curiosity was now replaced with wariness and disregard. He shooed Ravio away, and the boy retreated to Ganondorf, who took an immediate shining to him. Ravio helped stir the quick vegetable soup Ganondorf whipped up while the Gerudo sliced bread.

Lunch was shared with Link keeping a fair distance from Ravio. The boy ate his first serving fast and asked for another, which Ganondorf gave him. Link studied him hard throughout the meal.

“I like vegetables,” Ravio spoke up halfway through his second bowl of soup. “I don’t like meat.”

Ganondorf chuckled. “Is that because you’re a rabbit?”

“I _used_ to be a rabbit,” Ravio corrected with a haughty sniff. “But then I died, and the nice lady turned me into a Hylian like my hero.”

Link’s spoon clattered into his bowl, and both Ganondorf and Ravio turned to him. “He looks like me,” Link whispered. He sucked in a shallow breath. “Gan, he looks like me--”

“Easy,” Ganondorf begged before Link could begin to panic. He looked between Ravio’s smiling face and Link’s pale one a few times. “There’s some resemblance… Ravio, can I look inside your head?”

Ravio covered his head with his arms. “Will it hurt?”

“No, no, it will be just like sleeping. Ask your hero.”

Ravio looked to Link, but Link had turned away and was looking sick. The boy looked up at Ganondorf and said, “Okay.”

“I’ll get you some water,” Link volunteered in a stiff voice. He put his bowl aside and stood up.

“No need,” Ganondorf said; Link sat back down with tense shoulders and a clenched jaw. Ganondorf pulled up a handful of dirt from the cleared ground around the campfire and smeared it across his palm. Ravio followed the dirty palm to his forehead; his eyes fluttered closed. 

“I was right,” Ganondorf said with a smile while Ravio slept. “He’s earth. Oh.” Ganondorf frowned. “Well well…”

“What?” Link leaned forward. “What is it?”

Ganondorf cast him an unreadable look. “I think you should hear this.” He cleared his throat. “Ravio, tell us about your death.”

“What?” Link said again. 

“I was all alone,” Ravio began, and Link stilled. The boy was speaking in a sleepy voice, and his eyes had opened halfway. “I was weak. No one else in the warren liked me. They picked on me. They ruined my ear, and hurt my leg.

“But the hero saved me.” Ravio smiled a little. “One day, I left my burrow to eat, and an arrow came down from the heavens. It hit my head, and it hurt, but the pain and loneliness went away. I looked up and saw the hero looking down at me. He had chosen me. He said a prayer for me. No one else had ever been so nice to me before. I was so happy. 

“The nice lady’s fox friend took my spirit to her. She said I would have a chance to meet my hero. She said I would help him someday. So I went to sleep, and when I woke up I was a boy. The nice lady told me where to find the hero, and I went after him.”

Ganondorf pulled his hand away, and Ravio closed his eyes in sleep once more. “Did you notice his limp earlier?” Ganondorf asked Link. 

Link shook his head. “It’s… It’s not…” He sucked in a sharp breath when Ganondorf pushed Ravio’s hair back on the right side of his head. The ear beneath it was missing the top inch of its point.

“The nice lady he keeps mentioning.” Ganondorf looked to Link again. “This is divine work. A Goddess did this.”

“No,” Link said in a tight voice. “It’s a joke. A twisted joke. There’s nothing _divine_ about it. This is Ghirahim, or you--”

“You think I did this?” Ganondorf hissed.

“You know dark sorcery!”

“No sorcery can bring back the dead like this!” Ganondorf nearly shouted. “Not without a sacrifice, or in such perfect condition. But Ravio is alive! You killed him, and now he’s been brought back and sent to you as… as a gift!”

“A _gift?”_ Link’s voice broke around the word. “What Goddess would gift me? What Goddess cares enough to ever give me anything but despair and misery?”

“Perhaps it’s an apology,” Ganondorf suggested.

Link flinched, fought to get words out, and finally shouted, _“Well they’re years too late!”_ He gained his feet and ran off into the trees.

Ganondorf cursed and rubbed his forehead. A wave of his hand brought Ravio out of his sleep, and the boy looked across the campfire to Link’s empty spot. “Where did Link go?”

“He needs some time alone,” Ganondorf explained. “He’ll be back.”

“Hmmm.” Ravio got up and walked to the horses in an eager, limping gait. “What’re their names?”

“The black one is Torrent. He’s mine,” Ganondorf answered. “The brown one is Epona. She doesn’t like strangers, so be--” He cut off when Epona dropped her head to nuzzle Ravio. He giggled and stroked her nose. 

“You want to ride Torrent?” Ganondorf asked, inspired, and Ravio looked to him. “I’ll take you into town to get you some new clothes. We’ll need more supplies and food, too.”

“Why?” Ravio asked.

“’Cause you’re staying with us,” Ganondorf told him with a smile. Ravio could only stare. “Come on, let’s saddle up.”

#

Link returned to camp three days later in the middle of the night and found a newer tent set up alongside his and Ganondorf’s older one. He ducked into the latter and slipped under the blanket next to Ganondorf.

The Gerudo woke up with a gasp, sat up, and moved a hand down Link’s side. “You’re back,” he whispered, followed by, “You lost weight.”

Link ignored the observation. “He’s still here?”

“We’re keeping him,” Ganondorf said in a tone that allowed no argument. Link’s silence spoke his opinion on that clearly. “He’s a good kid. He’s been worried about you even after I told him these disappearances are normal for you.”

_“He’s_ not normal,” Link remarked, and he rolled over.

“You’d know, wouldn’t you?” Ganondorf retorted. The jab wasn’t entirely in jest, and Link hunched. “Give him a chance, all right? You gave me one.”

Link sighed and toyed with a loose string on his sleeve’s hem. “Can you fix my clothes again?”

Ganondorf laughed, and Link’s empty gut sank. “I can do better than that.”

#

It was blue, so it had that going for it. But the tunic was otherwise featureless, and Link eyed it with suspicion when Ganondorf held it up. 

Ganondorf saw the look and sighed. “I have others,” he said before tossing the tunic to Link, who caught it in surprise. Several more tunics were tossed to him in varying shades, along with new undershirts, pants, boots… Link’s arms were soon filled with clothes. He dropped them atop the nearby pile of saddlebags with a sigh of relief. 

Ganondorf’s face fell. “You don’t like them?”

“Maybe later,” Link said. He dropped onto a log by the cold campfire and rubbed at his forehead. Ravio took a seat by him with a word of good morning, but Link’s glare sent him scrambling away.

“Don’t,” Ganondorf snapped. Link scowled and covered his face with both hands. “What’s your problem this morning?”

Link raised his head and dropped his hands. “I’ve been having nightmares the past few nights. Different ones than the usual. I keep seeing those stupid doors, and Hyrule burning.”

“What’s Hyrule?” Ravio asked. 

Link didn’t answer him; didn’t even look at him. So it was Ganondorf who explained, “It’s the kingdom where we came from. You’re getting homesick,” he added to Link.

“I’ve been homesick most of my life,” Link said. “That isn’t what this is. It… It feels like a warning.”

“Do you want to go back?” Ganondorf asked him.

At this, Link shook his head furiously. “Trouble follows me like a plague,” he reminded Ganondorf. “The last thing I want to do is go back.” 

They pressed forward that very day. Once camp was broken down, there was the decision of where Ravio would ride. The boy wanted to sit with Link, but Link brushed him off so rudely it even dampened Ravio’s bright spirit. He rode with Ganondorf instead, but often looked back to cast Link a cautious smile. Link learned to stop looking forward. 

At their next camp, Link left as soon as he finished his half of the chores. They were camped at the edge of a field, so there was nowhere to hide. Instead, he walked to the river they had followed for half the day; a two-minute walk from camp. The current was slow, so he was able to slip into the water where it was deepest at shoulder height. He shucked off his boots before swimming, but kept his clothes on. Ganondorf would likely force him to wear the newer clothes starting tomorrow. Better to enjoy his Regn clothes while he could.

“Hey! Hey, Link! Hey!”

Link groaned and dropped beneath the water’s surface when Ravio sat down on the riverbank. The cool water welcomed Link like an old friend and drowned out his irritation. He watched Ravio’s concerned face waver against the surface. What was it that he saw in his “hero?” It irritated Link that Ganondorf--and now Impa and Zelda, who had learned of the unusual boy--were encouraging him to make nice. 

The water was more of a friend to Link that Ravio was. It hid him as he swam downriver and slipped out where high reeds hid him. He looked upriver and saw Ravio was on his hands and knees, leaning over the water; waiting for his hero to emerge. Link returned to camp.

“You’re all wet,” Ganondorf pointed out, smiling, when Link returned. A quick spell of his dried Link before he asked, “Where’s Ravio? He followed you to the river, didn’t he?”

“Still there,” Link answered. 

Ganondorf’s smile vanished. “You left him by the river alone?”

“He’s not my respon--” A cry for help cut Link off. It was distant; coming from the river. 

Ganondorf’s head whipped around, and he grabbed Link’s arm. “Come on!” he encouraged, and he dragged Link a few feet before breaking away with his longer stride. 

Link followed, but only because it would be worse for him if he didn’t. He arrived to the river in time to see Ganondorf dive in. Ravio was struggling in the deeper water. He slipped under seconds before Ganondorf reached him, and the Gerudo dove down. They both emerged seconds later. Ganondorf had Ravio in one arm, and the boy began to cough up water as soon as his head cleared the surface. They returned to the riverbank where Ganondorf repeated his drying spell.

“You okay?” Ganondorf stood Ravio up and looked him over. “What were you doing in the river if you couldn’t swim?”

Ravio began to cry. “Link didn’t come up,” he explained. “He didn’t come up for air. He drowned--” Ravio sucked in a wet gasp when he caught sight of Link, dry and whole. “You’re okay?”

“Ravio.” Ganondorf pulled Ravio’s attention back to him and wiped away his tears. “Go back to camp. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Ravio nodded, and with a wet, hurt glance at Link he limped off. 

Link waited until Ravio was out of earshot before he finished his earlier words. “He’s not my responsibility.”

“So you say,” Ganondorf said in a quiet voice. He was watching Ravio walk away. 

“You’re the one who invited him to travel with us. You fed him, you clothed him, you--”

“Don’t you get it?” Ganondorf asked, and Link paused in his rant. “He’s your redemption. Listen, I know.” Ganondorf brushed dried mud from his clothes. “You don’t like him because he reminds you of a worse time. A time when you were in a bad place. You killed him, in a way, and you don’t want to be reminded of that because it wasn’t the first or last time.

“But I think whatever Goddess sent him your way did so for a reason,” Ganondorf continued. “He’s here to help you heal over the last wounds from your dead tribe. That’s what I believe. He adores you, Link, and if you would only care for him in return maybe you can start forgiving yourself.”

Link shook his head. “If this Goddess wanted to redeem me, why not send Aryll back? Or Master Rusl?”

“Because they took care of you. But Ravio has never had anyone who cared about him until you came along. You’re his hero.” Ganondorf sighed, and his shoulders heaved. “Listen… Don’t come back to camp until morning. I might hurt you if you do.”

“What? Gan--” A sharp gesture from Ganondorf cut Link off, and the Hylian watched him walk away in silence.

**#######**

**Translations;**

All of the following is Gerudian.

_Pletre:_ Please

_Undesta:_ Literally, ‘understand.’ It can also be used less casually as ‘Got it?’


	5. A Bolt from the Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link has an encounter with someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

# Undertow

### Chapter Four: A Bolt from the Blue

The campfire was played out, but Link got it going again with a bit of effort, and it was crackling by the time the sun had cleared the horizon. The smell of sizzling bacon dragged Ganondorf out of the tent. He shot a sleepy look at the Hylian and walked off into the trees. A few minutes later, he returned and took a seat next to Link, who leaned against his side. 

“Ravio cried half the night,” Ganondorf said, and he felt Link stiffen against him. “He’s not stupid, Link. He knows you don’t like him. But until yesterday he thought he could win you over. He’s almost given up hope.” He paused to give Link a chance to respond, but no words came. “Well… I’m going to try my hand at fishing again.”

“Lucky for the fish,” Link remarked. 

“Ha ha.” Ganondorf pulled Link head into a headlock and kissed his temple with a murmured, “Play nice.”

Link sighed and leaned forward to remove the pan of bacon from the fire. Ganondorf took half of it with him on a plate when he left with a fishing rod over his shoulder. The rest was eaten by Link, little by little, before he fell to staring at the fire. He recalled the time Ganondorf tried to teach him Din’s Fire. It didn’t go well. Link could barely manage a spark, and Ganondorf surmised it was because his tribe was so closely tied to water.

A movement in the corner of Link’s eye drew his gaze up to Ravio’s tent. The boy’s head was sticking out between the flaps, and he had a wary eye fixed on Link. Link cleared his throat and called, “Hey.”

Ravio flinched, but didn’t retreat. His eyes were red, and his face was grey. Link recognized the look of a bad night’s sleep. “Do you want some breakfast?” he called in a voice of forced cheer.

Ravio edged out of the tent and made his slow way to the campfire. Link cleaned out the pan with a bit of water from his water skin before he sliced potatoes into it. Ravio sat down on the log and shifted up to Link’s side. His body heat pressed against Link’s arm, and for the first time he realized the boy was real. _Truly_ real. 

“Who taught you to cook?” Ravio asked after a while. 

“Huh? Oh.” Link stirred the potatoes to brown them on all edges. “My master--um, the man who taught me how to fight. And stuff. Impa taught me some things, too.”

“One of the ladies in the stone?”

“They’re not _in_ the… Forget it. Yeah, her.”

“Is your master in the stone, too?”

“No. No, he’s… He died. Years ago.”

“Did you kill him, too?”

“I…” Link stopped, glared at the fire, and pulled the pan out of it. “Eat your breakfast,” he snapped before shoving the potatoes at Ravio on a plate. He got up and moved to the other side of the campfire after digging a fork out of the saddlebags. 

Ravio looked across the flames at Link between bites. “Do you hate me?” the boy eventually asked, and Link hid his face in his crooked arms. 

Ten minutes later, Ganondorf traipsed back into camp with a grin on his face and a small fish dangling from a string in his hands. “Success!” he declared. 

Ravio put his now-empty plate aside, cheered, and begged to see the fish. “It’s cold,” he remarked when Ganondorf placed it in his hands. 

“I’m going to warm it up in just a second for breakfast,” Ganondorf said, and Ravio laughed while drawing a face in disgust. “Here, give it back,” Ganondorf ordered. 

Ravio handed up the fish only to have it waved in his face. He squealed and ran to Link where he crawled up under the Hylian’s braced arms and into his lap. But Link pushed him off and stood up, leaving Ravio to drop to the ground with a grunt.

 _“Don’t touch me!”_ Link shouted. 

Ravio ducked his head and didn’t dare to look up at him. A second later, Ganondorf’s shadow darkened both of them, and Link was yanked away by his ponytail. He was dragged, protesting, to the tent he shared with Ganondorf.

“Remember the last time you acted like a rabid dog?” Ganondorf asked before he shoved Link into the tent. “Stay!” he ordered when Link made to leave. 

“You can’t tell me what to do!” Link shouted back. He flinched away from Ganondorf’s raised hand, but no blow fell on him. The Gerudo retreated from the tent flaps, and a barrier spell was left in his wake. 

Ganondorf took a deep breath, relaxed his clenched fist, and walked over to Ravio. “You okay?” he asked after helping the boy into a seat on one of the logs by the fire.

Ravio nodded, close to tears. “He made me breakfast. I thought--”

“I know, I know.” Ganondorf brushed dirt from Ravio’s pant legs. “He’ll come around. It takes him a while.”

“He likes _you,”_ Ravio said sourly. 

“And I like him,” Ganondorf returned. “But we have our bad moments, too.” He looked across the field to the river at its edge. “I’m going to try and help, okay? But I want you to just… keep your distance around him. You can try talking to him, but don’t force him. Got that?”

Ravio nodded, and Ganondorf ruffled his dark hair before straightening up. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly before he peeled back the barrier on the tent and ducked inside. Link was seated on his side of the tent. Ganondorf sat down opposite him. 

“This is how it’s going to go,” Ganondorf began. “I don’t want you touching him. He’s my responsibility. Don’t go anywhere alone with him unless I approve it, and don’t say anything to him unless it’s absolutely necessary, or if he asks you a question. And if you decide to answer him, don’t say anything hurtful or smart. Got it?”

“He was asking me about Master Rusl, and I got mad, okay?” Link snapped.

“No, it’s _not_ okay,” Ganondorf retorted. “How long are you going to grieve, Link? It’s been years! Yes, he was your mentor. I get that. But do you think he wanted you to live your life like this?”

“You think I haven’t heard all this before?” Link crossed his arms and scowled. “You’re not Impa.”

“Then maybe you’ll listen to me,” Ganondorf growled. Link glanced at him and tightened his arms. “You have the chance to be to Ravio what Rusl was to you--a mentor, a guardian, a _father_ , even, for the Goddesses’ sakes. That’s the best way to honor Rusl’s memory: to carry on his teachings and apply them to help another. _Undesta?”_

Link sneered at his lap and hunched his shoulders. “Yeah, sure.”

It wasn’t a good answer, but Ganondorf had to accept it. “Keep it in mind.” He stood up and left the tent, saying, “You can come out when you’re ready.”

With the ground rules stated, things began to smooth out within the camp. The day passed without any further altercations, as did the next week. Ravio was a little more somber, and Link grew selectively mute, but there were no hurt feelings or harassment. Ravio found a place within the camp. He learned how to take off the horse’s bridles when they bowed their heads to him, and he taught Kara his name. He also learned how to put up and take down his tent, although he often needed help in anchoring it. 

With things more or less settled, Ganondorf restarted Link’s practice and talking sessions. Kara kept Ravio busy in his tent whenever the sessions took place, as Link was often in too foul a mood during them to have the boy within reach and sight. The Regn Hylian was getting no better at confronting Ganondorf within the mind space, leaving the Gerudo to worry even more now that he knew someone was actively against them.

On Ganondorf’s insistence, they followed the river all that week. Link didn’t complain, and Ravio was too happy to be experiencing new sights to care. From his seat at the front of Ganondorf’s saddle, he swept his eyes over every new landmark, so it was him who first spied the broad smear of glittering light that marked a huge lake.

Ganondorf smiled when Ravio pointed the lake out. It was what he had been waiting for all week. He suggested they make camp near it, and relaxed with relief when Link nodded eagerly.

As soon as the last tent stake was buried, and the horses were rubbed down, Link stripped down to his pants and dove off a rock outcropping into the lake. Ganondorf took a seat on the shore and dropped his feet into the wavelets. He lit up a cigarette he had rolled at camp and laid down against the sandy ground. Ravio, dressed in only pants as well, circled around Ganondorf and walked ankle-deep into the water. 

“You gonna swim?” Ganondorf asked him.

“I can’t,” Ravio said. “My leg is bad.”

“It’s only a limp, right? I’ve seen a woman with no legs swim before.” 

Ravio’s lips pressed into a thin line. “It’s the cold. It gets worse in the cold, and it gets achy.” He watched Link emerge from under the water only to submerge again. “Link is good at swimming.”

“He’s the last member of the Regn Tribe,” Ganondorf explained. “They were deeply connected with water. He can hold his breath for ten minutes if he wants--twelve on a good day. He might teach you to swim if you ask nicely.”

Ravio gulped, but he pushed out into the water until it was up to his waist. There he stopped and watched Link swim a few minutes more before he called in a quavering voice, “Hey! Link, hey!”

Link glanced at him and dove under the water. 

Ravio’s hands worked together just below the surface, and he chewed on his lip. His bad leg was aching already. He should just go back to Ganondorf. Except something big was gliding towards him under the water. He sucked in a short breath out of fear, but released it in a laugh when Link’s head rose out of the water. 

“What is it?” Link asked. 

It was the most he had said to Ravio in days. The boy stilled and fumbled for words. “I, uh… Ganondorf said you could… You could teach me to swim?”

“I could,” Link answered. “Anything else?”

Ganondorf heard him and called, “You’re not Lady Impa, little fish.”

Link’s narrowed eyes flicked to Ganondorf, but moved back to Ravio when the boy asked, _“Will_ you teach me to swim?”

Link sighed, and small ripples spread away from his mouth. “What do you know?”

“Um…”

“All right.” Link rubbed his forehead. “You look pretty uncomfortable in the water.”

“My bad leg hurts,” Ravio explained. 

“Oh.” Link didn’t know what to say to that, and it threw him off his guard. He found himself unexpectedly warming up to the boy for his misfortune. “Okay, um… Well, let’s get you used to the motions before we do anything.” He turned around and raised his back out of the water. “Hang on to my shoulders.”

Ravio eyed the scars that pockmarked Link’s back, and he hesitated. “I… You said not to--”

“It’s fine,” Link said. Ravio’s hands hooked over his shoulders, and he pushed off into deeper water at an easy pace. It took awhile for Ravio to relax atop his back; there was a lot of nail digging. When the boy started to giggle, Link felt it was time to move to a new step. He stopped and planted his feet on the lakebed. Ravio clung to his angled back, half-out of the water.

“We’re going to hold our breaths now,” Link instructed. “Keep hanging onto my back, and when you need air give me a tap. Ready?” Ravio nodded against his back. “On the count of three then. One… Two… Three.”

Link slipped down beneath the water and swam at an easy pace with Ravio’s head a few inches below the surface. It was only ten seconds later when he felt a tap against his ribs. He returned to open air, and Ravio gasped. 

“I saw a fish!”

“Want to try again?”

“Yeah!”

They dipped below the water three more times until Link suggested they should try something new. He took Ravio back to shallower water where the boy could stand and told him to stretch out atop the water. It took a bit of coaxing to get Ravio to first sit down and then stretch out. Link supported him and told him how to keep his arms, head, and hips. Little by little, Link pulled his arms away until Ravio was floating on his own. 

“Last thing today,” Link said, and he helped Ravio turn over onto his stomach. “Kick over to the shore.”

“On my own?”

“Yeah. I’ll give you a little push to get you started.”

It wasn’t a far distance, and once Link pushed Ravio into a glide his legs literally kicked in, throwing up a froth of water while he moved towards the shore. He stood up and looked back to see how far he had swam, but only a ring of ripples remained. Link was under the water again.

“See?” Ganondorf said when Ravio rejoined him. “He’s not so bad.”

Dinner was simple and eaten on the lakeshore picnic style. Link emerged from the water long enough to eat something before he slipped back in. Ganondorf and Ravio returned to camp alone a short while later. 

“He likes swimming,” Ganondorf explained when Ravio cast a concerned look back. “He’ll turn in not long after it gets dark. He likes to sit under the water and think.”

“That’s weird,” Ravio remarked, and Ganondorf laughed. 

Link didn’t return to camp until hours later. Ravio was already asleep in his tent, but Ganondorf was playing a soft tune on his lute when Link stumbled into camp with a hand clamped on his side.

“Desbreko,” he said in a breathless voice, and he staggered to his knees by Ganondorf, who abandoned the instrument to inspect the blood pushing out around Link’s hand. “It… I didn’t see it. Just swam up and took a chunk out of me. _Phyick!”_ Link bit his lips against the scream of pain that wanted to escape him.

A chunk of flesh was cleanly scooped out of Link’s side. Ganondorf cursed at the sight of it and replaced Link’s hand with his own. He murmured a string of words, and the wound began to close up.

Link sucked in breath after breath and winced when the magic pulled at his muscles and skin. “I really miss the fairy fountains of Hyrule.”

The spell was done. Ganondorf pulled his hand away and said, “Whenever you’re ready to return…”

Link chuckled. “Two weeks ago I would have said maybe.” His face fell. “But Ravio proves I still have a lot of problems with my past.”

“You should have seen his face when he kicked to the shore. The two of you were something else today. It was as if you had known him all his life.”

Link turned in place and looked towards the dark lake. His hand went to his healed skin as if there was still a bite there. “I guess,” was all he said. “This was your idea, wasn’t it? That’s why you wanted to follow the river. You wanted to put me in a better mood.”

“Maybe,” Ganondorf answered. 

Link scoffed lightly and pushed himself onto his feet. “Well, it worked. I am better.” His fingers tugged on the chinstrap beard that, despite all of his not-so-subtle hints, remained on Ganondorf’s face. But his lips fell upon the Gerudo’s forehead with murmured gratitude. 

“Ah, so we _are_ in a better mood,” Ganondorf said.

“I said better, not rare,” Link replied. He gently detached the hand that had slipped around his neck, grabbed a pair of dry pants from the laundry line, and disappeared into the tent.

Ganondorf snuffed out the campfire and picked up the wet pants Link tossed outside the tent. Once they were hung, he ducked into the tent and lay down beside Link, who was seated and undoing his ponytail. “Sorry,” Ganondorf said.

“Don’t apologize,” Link grumbled. He fell to raking the tangles out of his hair. “A monster just took a chunk out of me. That’s a bit of a mood-killer, and I don’t have much of a mood under normal circumstances.” He stood up and turned down the lantern, throwing the tent into darkness. His head fell atop Ganondorf’s chest seconds later.

“What’s this? Changing your mind so quickly?” Ganondorf teased.

Link hushed him. “I’m allowed to listen.” He closed his eyes against the dark tent and focused on the sounds of the heart and lungs inches from his ear. While he listened, he thought back on how this odd relationship of theirs had grown. He had learned quickly into the journey that Ganondorf was just as unabashed as Link had pegged him not long into their friendship. It was no secret he was attracted to the Hylian, but it wasn’t until Link had answered his playful plead for a kiss by giving him just that did Ganondorf realize there was a mirrored attraction.

That was when the questions started. Was Link attracted to men? No, not only. Women, too, and race didn’t really matter. Link’s terse answers interested Ganondorf, and he at once regretted rising up to the tease. He shut the Gerudo down by saying he wasn’t really interested in casual sex, so could Ganondorf draw back the hand sneaking forward before it found itself skewered?

Ganondorf had laughed--not in mockery, but out of relief. And in truth, the admittance had relieved a lot of the tension between the two men. They were far more at ease with each other after it, and Link was able to learn how to drop some of his inhibitions when it came to physical interactions, which in turn helped him with tackling his other problems.

Link dragged himself out of memory and asked, out of the blue, “Is there a town nearby?”

“The map’s out in the bags. Um…” Ganondorf strained to remember. He had last looked at the map yesterday. “I think… so. Something with an H…”

“Hiedor,” Link supplied. “A mile from here, over that little hill to the west.”

“Yeah.” Ganondorf frowned in the dark at Link’s odd voice. “What about it?”

“I think I’ll ride out there in the morning,” Link said. 

“Why?”

“I don’t know. No reason. Something to do. The idea got into my head while I was swimming.”

“Hmmm.” Ganondorf dropped his arm around Link’s shoulders. “The only idea in my head is sleep. Goodnight.”

“Night,” Link returned, and he closed his eyes.

#

Link got up at dawn and had an early swim to wake up his mind and body. After drying off he dressed in his recently-cleaned Regn tunic, which he was still stubbornly wearing, and saddled Epona up for the ride to Hiedor. Kara went with him, riding on his shoulder or flitting along the ground in search of worms and grass seed. 

Hiedor was a busy place, Link learned. It was another market town, and fairly large. Link secured Epona at a hitching post before merging with the crowd of people who were already filling the streets. He wandered from stall to stall, following some instinct at the back of his mind. Once, he felt something like static shock run through his body, and he turned to look on both sides of the crowd around him. But nothing caught his eye, and the feeling--whatever it was--faded quickly. Oddly, it left him feeling hollow. 

Link returned to camp in a distracted mind. He spent a half-hour with his bow while Ganondorf and Ravio had breakfast. Their conversation traveled across the shore to where Link practiced. The familiar motions of the bow brought Link back into focus. 

“How was Hiedor?” Ganondorf asked when Link returned. “Find what you’re looking for?”

“Who said I’m looking for anything?” Link asked in return. He took off his quiver as well as his shirt. “I’m going swimming.”

“You swam all day yesterday.”

“And I will swim all day today.”

Ravio giggled, but tapered off when Link glanced at him. The boy’s eyes dropped to the scars and fixed on the largest one until Link turned away. 

“Hey.” Ravio moved over to Ganondorf once Link was out of sight. “Link is a hero, right? He’s saved people.”

“He has,” Ganondorf answered carefully. “But often that’s because he caused the danger in the first place. Monsters are attracted to him, you see. It’s sort of a curse.”

“Oh.” Ravio looked towards the lake. “How do we get rid of the curse?”

“We haven’t figured that out yet,” Ganondorf said. “But we’re always keeping our ears to the ground, so if you think you hear or see something that might help, let us know.”

“Okay,” Ravio agreed with a nod. “Do… Do you think Link will show me how to swim some more today?”

“There’s no harm in asking.” 

They spent most of the day at the lakeshore again, swimming and eating at whim. Ravio practiced his breath-holding and kicks in the shallows until he felt confident enough to call to Link for more swimming lessons. Link glided up to him under the water like a great fish, and he reviewed the basics with Ravio before moving him onto the next few steps.

Link withdrew from the water around lunchtime and had a small meal while Ravio practiced strokes near the shore. Ganondorf was resting with his eyes closed and his arms folded behind his head. Link poked his elbow before asking, “Can we stay here for a while?”

“Why?” Ganondorf asked.

“I don’t know.” Link looked around. “Something about this place… It feels different from the other lakes we’ve come across. I think this would be a good place to stay for a while--you know, for practice and stuff.”

Ganondorf opened an eye and marked Link’s straight back and high head. “Yeah, all right,” he agreed. Link smiled and thanked him before returning to the water.

Ganondorf sat up and studied the lake before his eyes shifted to the direction of Hiedor. He lay back down and fell to thinking. 

Link didn’t stay out swimming as late as the night before; perhaps the nocturnal desbrekos dampened his enthusiasm. But it was still past dark when he returned to camp. Ravio was tucked away in his tent, exhausted from the day’s swim. His limp had been more pronounced after returning to camp, but he was all smiles through dinner.

Ganondorf watched Link stretch by the campfire before he asked, “Are you going to Hiedor again tomorrow?”

Link dropped his arms with a sigh. “I think so.”

“Why?”

Link looked to Ganondorf in alarm. “What is it?” he asked instead. “You don’t want me going?”

“I’m worried about your reasons,” Ganondorf explained. “What’s drawing you to that place? To this lake? What if it’s Ghirahim?”

“It’s not the same feeling,” Link quickly reassured. “This feels like…” He breathed deep and let it out slowly. “Like coming home. I know. It’s weird.” He laughed self-consciously.

Ganondorf tossed a twig into the fire. “All right, but I want you to take Kara again. Just in case.”

“Worrywart,” Link teased. “I’m going to bed.” He yanked a dry pair of pants down from the line and tossed them over his wet shoulder. 

“Guess I will, too,” Ganondorf murmured. He put his spinning thoughts aside, although he knew they would return to him as soon as he attempted to sleep. With a groan, he stood up and stretched. His back popped, and was followed by the sound of Link’s wet pants hitting the ground after being tossed out of the tent. 

“When did I become your maid again?” Ganondorf said as he leaned over to pick up the pants. A pair of dry pants was tossed at his head in answer. Ganondorf gladly abandoned his maid duties and ducked into the tent.

#

Link took his time riding to Hiedor the next day in hopes of rooting out the feeling in his gut as he drew closer to the town. It was a peculiar feeling, both thrilling and sobering. It led Link into the crowd once more, but the people diluted the feeling, and he grew frustrated. After only ten minutes of searching, he turned his sights towards the edge of town. Maybe he could try once more later in the day.

“…for next week, prices might be--”

Link stopped short, spun around, and peered through the crowd. It couldn’t be… But the electric feeling he had encountered yesterday was growing. He pushed and excused himself through the crowd. His heart began to race. It was impossible. _Impossible._ And yet…

“…mean what does he expect? Is he charging by the feather? No--”

The accent was worn down by the years; hidden under the local lilt. But it was there. Link’s eyes settled on two men in their forties who were leaned against a wall and talking to each other. He traced the ponytail at the back of the left man’s head.

“…I don’t think he--”

“You… You’re Regn, aren’t you?”

The two men paused their conversation and turned to look at the young man who had stumbled out of the crowd. The eyes of the man on the left widened briefly before narrowing in suspicion.

Link’s entire body was trembling. He could barely find the words to say; could barely find the breath to speak them. “You’re Regn,” he insisted, staring directly at the man with the ponytail. “Aren’t you? You have to be. Oh my… I… I’m not alone. I’m not…” Link stopped and gasped. “Are… Are there more of you? There has to be, right? You have a family, or friends from our tribe--”

“You know him, Flynn?” the man on the right asked his friend.

“Flynn…” Link paused his babbling to turn the name over on his tongue while its owner glared at him. “Flynn… Flynn… Oh gods.” Link’s face paled even as a smile came to it. “I never thought… I didn’t even consider… You were out trading outside the village when the attack happened, weren’t you? Weren’t you? I remember. You were a tailor. You _survived--”_

A hand at Link’s throat cut him off, and he was dragged into a nearby alley. Flynn’s friend followed him, calling his name, but stopped at the alley’s mouth when the man slammed Link against the wall. Link grimaced when his head connected, and his mind swam. 

“Listen to me.” Flynn’s voice was hard, and his eyes harder. His hand prevented Link from uttering a sound. “I don’t know who you are. I don’t even know what Regn means, do you understand? I live here in this town, and that’s all. Whatever life I had before doesn’t matter anymore. I let it go. It’s behind me. It doesn’t exist, and neither does any connection you think I have to you.”

What? How could he say such a thing? Hadn’t he felt the same shock and grief as Link had? But even as Link thought back to his childhood, he could remember the talk about this tailor--how he was always yearning to leave the small village for a better life.

Link couldn’t speak, but the solidarity of the Regn tribe urged him to try and find a peace with Flynn. He lifted a hand to his tunic; to the white markings on its collar. Surely Flynn hadn’t abandoned all of his ties…

Flynn’s answer was to drive Link’s head against the wall again, harder. Link slipped to the ground, barely conscious, and Flynn walked away.

“What the hell was that about?” the other man asked when Flynn rejoined him. “What’d the kid do?”

“Doesn’t matter. He’s nobody,” Flynn snapped. 

They walked away into the sunlight outside the alley, and their voices faded from Link’s ringing ears. He lay down on the ground and felt the back of his head. His fingers came away wet with blood, but the wound wasn’t bad. He was hurt far worse inside.

#

The campfire was back to life thanks to a little spark of Din’s Fire. With Link gone and Ravio still sleeping, Ganondorf was able to enjoy his breakfast in peace. He could see now why Link wanted to stay at the lake. It had a peculiar beauty. 

A distant cry for help raised Ganondorf’s head. The call repeated many times over, and he recognized Kara’s chirp. His whistle brought her to him, and she swooped down to land at his feet, still chirping for help. She was unharmed, which meant…

Ganondorf rushed to his feet and called Torrent over with a whistle. The horse ran to him, and he rode bareback out of camp at a swift clip with Kara leading the way. She led him to Hiedor. 

The crowds were too close for Torrent to move through. Ganondorf found Epona at a hitching post and left the stallion beside her. Kara flitted across the roofs of stalls and the tops of people’s heads, never standing still long enough to be noticed by anyone but Ganondorf. She eventually swooped into an alley, and Ganondorf followed to find Link looking very dead within it. But kneeling in front of him, Ganondorf found tears falling from the Hylian’s eyes, which flickered with recognition when they saw the Gerudo.

“Let me see,” Ganondorf whispered. 

Link pushed himself up on trembling arms and sat against the wall. Ganondorf’s hand touched his forehead, and Link’s encounter with Flynn flashed through his mind. Ganondorf felt every emotion, from hope to despair, and it left him shaky long after he pulled his hand away. 

When the hand withdrew, Link broke into heavy sobs, and Ganondorf sat with him for close to an hour; talking, reassuring, and providing a literal shoulder to cry on. He healed the cut that had opened up at the back of Link’s head, considered a weak tease about the ponytail saving him from a harder knock, but settled for pulling him into his arms.

When Link was able to stand without collapsing from grief, he followed Ganondorf out into the crowd and stuck close the whole walk to the horses. At the hitching post, he clung to Epona’s head as if she was his only rock in a rough sea, and buried his face in her forelock; she bore it with her usual patience. The ride to camp was a quiet one.

Ravio was awake and looking worried, alone in the camp without even Kara to keep him company. He brightened when everyone returned, but his happiness was short-lived. Ganondorf announced they were moving on.

“But I thought Link liked it here,” Ravio said. Ganondorf gently told him to be quiet, and the boy fell to dismantling his tent with many looks at Link, who sat upon Epona with his eyes down. They were puffy and red.

The day’s ride took the group further along the river and away from Hiedor. Camp was set up in a small valley not far from the water. As soon as everything was settled, Link vanished into his and Ganondorf’s tent. Ravio made to follow him, but Ganondorf called the boy back. 

“We’re going to be staying here a while,” he said to Ravio. “So why don’t you look around and see what’s here, hmmm?”

“By myself?”

“Well, take Kara with you, and keep in sight of the camp, okay?”

Once Ravio was busy, Ganondorf found the gossip stone and called Impa on it. The time difference was still a hassle, but she answered nonetheless. When she asked what was putting the strain in Ganondorf’s greeting, it took a while for the Gerudo to answer her.

“Link… He… He found a survivor.”

“A survivor? What--Oh gods.” Impa wasn’t foolish enough to at once see it as a good thing. “What happened?”

After Ganondorf told her everything, she asked to speak to Link. The Gerudo warned her Link wasn’t in a talking mood, but she insisted. Ganondorf took the gossip stone to the tent and lowered it onto Link’s pillow in front of his vacant face. “It’s Lady Impa,” Ganondorf said. Impa called Link’s name and dropped into Sheikan, and Ganondorf retreated from the tent.

It was a long evening that slipped into a longer night. Ganondorf stayed up by the campfire and waited long after Ravio was asleep. The nightmares were inevitable, but the piercing scream that came out of the tent chilled him to the bone. It warped into a cry of frustration and hurt before falling away into silence. 

Seconds later, Link pushed past the tent’s flaps and stalked bare-chested to the fire where he tossed his threadbare Regn tunic into the flames. Sparks flew up, and the fabric caught fire at once. Something flashed in Link’s hand as it lifted towards his neck. Impossible. Ganondorf had taken all weapons away from him.

_“Link--!”_

The relic’s extension snapped opened, and its blade took shape in a burst of blue light. It flashed through Link’s hair, and his ponytail joined his tunic in the flames. The relic dropped to the ground and snapped closed, and Link followed it. His folded legs splayed out, and he stared at the fire with unblinking eyes. It gave off a sulfur-like smell as the ponytail was consumed.

Ganondorf breathed in deep and relaxed back into his seat on the ground. “Hey,” he called softly, “the kid’s a sound sleeper, huh?” Link only crossed his arms over his bare chest--not in contempt, but as if cold. “Listen, little fish, would you do something for me? I know I told you before I would do anything for you, and I have without asking for any payment. But just once, I’d like a favor in return. Are you listening?”

Link jerked his head in a slight nod and hugged his chest tighter.

“When your hair grows back, I want you to grow it out again--long enough for a ponytail--because you are more worthy of calling yourself Regn for the grief you’re showing now than that bastard ever has been in his whole life. You have spent your whole life carrying your people’s traditions and memory, before and after they perished. You should be proud of the blood that runs through your veins, because I promise you the only thing running through Flynn’s is yellow piss. 

_“You_ are the last Regn, Link. It’s not just about wearing a blue tunic. It’s how you carry on your people’s tradition while living your own life to its fullest. That means letting go what needs to be let go…” Ganondorf gestured to the burning tunic, “and carrying on what’s most important.”

The tunic and hair were burnt away. Link stroked the back of his head and felt scorched, uneven tips. There was an emptiness as well; at the back of his head, and in his heart. He appreciated Ganondorf’s words, and he knew they were true, but his heart needed more convincing on them. He played with the tip of his right sidelock. It had grown in over the months, and both it and its partner had survived the butchering.

Ganondorf sighed. “I tried,” he murmured, more to himself. He poked at the edge of the fire with his boot, and it kicked up sparks. “I don’t know what else to say. I’m sorry, Link. That place was giving me a bad vibe, but I let you go there alone. I’m sorry.”

Link’s cheek fell against the top of Ganondorf’s head. He had moved around the fire in silence. He tugged on the Gerudo's beard and patted his cheek in goodnight before returning to the tent. Ganondorf didn’t follow him. He could hear the pleading and whimpers well enough from the campfire.

**######**

**Translations**

All of the following is Gerudian

 _Phyick!:_ Fuck! (as in a curse)


	6. Right as Regn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Link recovers from his grief, Ravio slowly works his way into the Regn Hylian's heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically Cute: The Chapter haha Please enjoy, thanks!

# Undertow

### Chapter Five: Right as Regn

Ganondorf was accustomed to no sleep, so he was awake to see the sun rise on the camp. Link rose with it. He stepped out of his tent as if in a hurry and snapped the flaps closed behind him. Ganondorf barely managed a hello before the Hylian vanished into the woods. 

“Don’t disappear, Link,” Ganondorf whispered to no one. The minutes stretched… and Link returned, but only to vanish back into the tent. A small victory.

Ravio was in a brighter mood when he crawled out of his tent. Once Ganondorf had sat him down with some breakfast, he asked, “What’s wrong with Link?”

Ganondorf sighed and ran his hand over his face. “Ah, how do I explain… Ravio, can you think of someone you care for very much?”

“Um… Link?” Ravio answered.

Ganondorf laughed humorlessly. “Someone else,” he said.

“Uh… You?” Ravio offered with a smile.

Ganondorf ruffled his hair. “All right. So, imagine I’ve been with you for years and years, and suddenly I go away--I die. How would that make you feel?”

“Sad,” was Ravio’s immediate response, and his smile fell away. “I would be really, _really_ sad.”

Ganondorf nodded. “Now imagine I come back to life--actually, I was never dead in the first place. You just thought I was. But the thing is I don’t want anything to do with you. I don’t want to talk to you, I don’t want to see you, I don’t want to remember all the fun we had… How would _that_ make you feel?”

Ravio’s face fell further, and he glanced at Link’s tent. “Is that what Link is feeling now? Did someone he loves come back?”

“A member of his tribe is still alive,” Ganondorf answered. 

“And they don’t want to see Link?”

Ganondorf shook his head. “They hurt him, actually.”

Ravio gasped and looked again to the tent. His throat worked for a while before he asked, “He doesn’t have any other tribe?”

“Well, he’s an honorary Sheikah and Gerudo,” Ganondorf answered in a brighter voice. “But as far as the Regn tribe goes, no, there is no one else.”

“Oh. Hey, what’s that mean? Honorary?”

“It means he’s a part of the tribe even though he wasn’t born into it.”

“Oh. Hey! That means us too, right?” 

“Last I checked, we’re not Regn.”

“No, but if Link can be Sheikah and Gerudo, then we can be Regn, right?”

“Huh.” Ganondorf stroked his beard. “Yeah, maybe. But Link will never tell us how to become a member of his tribe. He’s too stubborn, and too caught up in grief.”

“So what do we do?” Ravio asked.

“We ask someone else,” Ganondorf answered. “Leave it to me. Today, just… just keep your distance from the tent.”

It was a long day. Link stayed in the tent save for when he had to relieve himself once more. He refused food and drink, and seemed to sleep the hours away. Ganondorf kept Ravio busy with teaching him how to ride, and telling him stories. 

After tucking Ravio in for the night, Ganondorf checked on Link once more and found him asleep. The Gerudo backed out of the tent and sat down by the fire. The gossip stone in his hand lit up when he called Zelda’s name.

“Do you stay in touch with that Shad character?” Ganondorf asked after he and Zelda had passed hellos. 

“Yes, I see him and Malon about once a month,” Zelda answered. “Why?”

“Could you do me a favor and take the gossip stone with you next time?” Ganondorf asked. “I want to ask him something about the Regn tribe.”

“Sure,” Zelda agreed. In a lower voice, she asked, “How is he doing?”

“He stayed in bed all day. I’ll give him another day, and then his ass is getting up.”

Zelda’s chuckle was half-hearted. “Take care of him for me,” she said before breaking the connection.

It turned out Link didn’t need as long. He came out of the tent at lunchtime the next day and walked to the river where he cleaned and changed into one of his new tunics; a green one. Ganondorf stared at it for so long when the Hylian returned that Link cast him a questioning look.

Ganondorf shook himself out of his thoughts. “Nothing,” he said. “Just… I shouldn’t have gotten you green,” he added, and he smacked his head lightly with a weak laugh.

Link frowned but shrugged, and he accepted a plate of food when Ganondorf offered it. Ravio sat quiet on Ganondorf’s other side with occasional glances at Link’s bloodshot eyes.

But while Link was now out of bed, things were hardly better. He didn’t speak, for one, leading to some tense, one-sided standoffs with Ganondorf that forced the Gerudo to take a long walk at least once a week. Ganondorf broke more than one finger from punching trees at these times while others’ memories of a quiet hero with a glowing blade flitted through his head. He always returned within a couple hours to find Link sitting in the same spot, wearing the same dead look as Ganondorf had left him.

Ravio grew proficient at taking care of himself during such times, for Link barely took notice of him. However, this didn’t stop the boy from trying to be noticed. He was always bringing Link meals while Ganondorf was away or busy, marveling at how Link accepted with no hint of animosity, and sometimes even a pat on the head. Ravio was a diligent observer. He learned what to look for when Link needed space, and the signs that said he could sit close enough to lean his head and shoulder against Link’s side. 

But the weeks stretched until a month had passed without a word from Link. Ganondorf didn’t move camp the whole time--as punishment or encouragement, Ravio couldn’t figure out. He wasn’t brave enough to ask, either. But he knew it could have been a lot worse, so he did as he was told when he knew things were tense, and did his best to cheer Link up. 

Ganondorf had to admire Ravio for his persistence. Little by little, he was wearing Link down. The boy didn’t have Ganondorf’s experience with people; that somewhat overbearing attitude that had cracked Link’s quiet nature almost instantly years ago. Instead, Ravio slowly but surely made himself noticed by Link, and then subtly worked his way onto the Regn Hylian’s good side. 

Near the end of the month, Ganondorf finally received the answer he was waiting for. He was watching the campfire while Link and Ravio slept when the gossip stone on the ground by his leg lit up. 

“Hello? Hello?” The gossip stone flickered when the person on the other side tapped its twin. “Princess Zelda, are you sure-- _Hello?”_

Ganondorf picked up the gossip stone. “Hello, Shad.”

“Ah!” Shad lowered his voice from a shout to an eager tone at once. “Lord Ganondorf, I believe?”

“You can drop the lord,” Ganondorf answered.

“Right, of course. Malon told me… Goddesses, this is fascinating! Princess Zelda, you said this was from the Sheikah tribe? Tell me--”

“Shad, pay attention,” came both Zelda’s and Malon’s voices. 

“Right, right. Ah… You had a question about the Regn tribe?”

“Yeah.” Ganondorf paused to pop his back in a stretch. It panged, and he winced. He hadn’t slept in the tent all month, and it was wearing on him. “I wanted to know if outside members were ever brought into the tribe, and how so.”

“Hang on, hang on…” The sound of a flipping notebook made the gossip stone’s light stutter. “I remember writing… Yes! Right, one of my interview subjects was once initiated into the Regn tribe. He was a great source of information--helped me to write half my book. He was quite kind, too, and--”

“Shad, please,” Malon interrupted.

“Yes, all right… Um, you have to catch a fish.”

Ganondorf frowned. “That’s it?”

“By hand,” Shad finished. “No nets, or rods, or tricks… And then present the fish to your Regn representative. I suppose that would be Link. Although! Princess Zelda informed us there was--”

“Thank you, Shad,” Ganondorf said, and he cut off the connection.

#

When Ganondorf told Ravio of the initiation the next morning, the boy’s face fell. 

“What’s wrong?” Ganondorf asked him. He was sharpening a knife while Ravio ate breakfast.

“I still can’t swim too good,” Ravio said. “How am I supposed to catch a fish with my bare hands?”

“I can barely catch one with a rod most of the time,” Ganondorf said, and Ravio giggled. 

Link heard the giggle as he returned to camp from washing in the river. He narrowed his eyes at both Ganondorf and Ravio, who smiled in return. 

But Ravio couldn’t keep the secret to himself. He stood up and approached Link on wary feet. “Hey, Link. If I catch a fish with my bare hands, can I be in your tribe? That’s what Ganondorf said.”

Link shot a startled look at Ganondorf before looking away. There was something like fear in the Regn Hylian’s tight eyes alongside surprise and… hope, perhaps? Ganondorf wanted to believe it was there. 

But it was brief. Link blinked, sighed, and dropped his eyes to Ravio. He patted the boy’s head and answered, “Sure.” Ravio brimmed over with happiness, and he at once announced he was going to the river to catch a fish.

“Now you’ve done it,” Ganondorf teased after Ravio took off. Link cocked his head to the side, and the Gerudo continued, “You broke your silence to him first. He’s going to worship you even more now.” Link rolled his eyes and made to walk away, but Ganondorf called, “Hey.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Yeah, I’m still angry, and sad, and--”

“All I said was ‘hey.’” Ganondorf beckoned Link closer, and he walked over. “You’re not spending all your time thinking about that _bindasta,_ are you?” 

“Mmmm…” Link didn’t meet Ganondorf’s eyes until the Gerudo tugged on his wrist. 

“Don’t,” Ganondorf said. “You’re worth twenty of him.”

“It’s just…” Link blinked against the tears burning in his eyes. “He didn’t care. He didn’t even _care--”_

“While you spent all your life doing nothing but that.” Ganondorf pressed his nose against the crook of Link’s elbow and breathed in the vague scents of stress and fear the river hadn’t washed off. “It’s time to start caring about yourself now.”

Link managed a weak chuckle, “Hard to do when you’re always looking to get me into trouble.” He pulled his arm away from Ganondorf’s wandering lips and began to take the dry clothes down from the laundry line.

Ravio returned from the river empty-handed, and he pouted when Ganondorf teased him about catching only mud on his feet. The boy vowed to try again come the next day, and true to his word he was gone as soon as he had food in his gut. Ganondorf and Link went with him, and the Regn Hylian took a seat on the bank to watch both of them try and fail numerous times to catch a fish bare-handed. He rolled his eyes when Ganondorf nearly fell face-first into the river after a jumping fish, and he gained his feet on the slanted bank.

“Oh, gonna show us how easy it is, huh?” Ganondorf said when Link stepped hip-deep into the river. Link shot him a confident smirk and bowed over at the waist. His arms slipped into the river, and it was only a minute’s quiet wait before they jerked forward and rose out of the river clamped around a wriggling catfish. 

Ganondorf scoffed. “You’ve had practice,” he pointed out. 

Link smiled a little, released the catfish, and returned to the bank. 

Just before lunchtime, Ganondorf lifted a small sunfish out of the river with a triumphant _“Ha!”_ The fish almost vanished between his large hands. He waded over to Link and held out the gasping creature. Ravio looked on in amazement. 

Link stared at the fish until he jerked into focus. “Um…” What were the words again? He couldn’t remember. He decided to make something up on the fly; they wouldn’t know the difference. “You have shown persistence and skill in the water. These are good traits of a Regn.” It sounded jerky, but it would have to do. He remembered the last part better. “Now show mercy by releasing your catch.”

“What?” Ganondorf was exasperated. “I just spent hours trying to catch this thing. At least let me eat it.”

Link only waited, and with a sigh Ganondorf bowed over and lowered the sunfish back into the river. It swam off in a flash of scales. “So I guess this means I’m--” He was cut off by a kiss on the cheek. 

Link wrapped his arms around Ganondorf’s neck and pressed his cheek against the one he had kissed. “I couldn’t remember the right words,” he admitted in a small voice.

“It sounded right to me,” Ganondorf said. “Leave the little details to Shad.”

Link nodded and dropped his arms. Ganondorf squeezed his hand before he left for camp to “get the muck out of my toes.” Link wiped a tear from his eye and looked across the river to Ravio. 

“Hey, Link,” Ravio called. “Do I get a kiss too if I become a Regn?”

Link broke into gentle laughter, and Ravio smiled around a blush before refocusing on the river. He had learned to stand still and quiet, but his impatience usually won over; he waded around the river often. But ten minutes later, he called across the river, “Hey, Link! Do eels count? I see one. It’s moving slow--I think I can catch it!”

“Eels?” Link stood up and looked to Ravio. “You see one?”

“Yeah! It’s fat and it has pretty scales.” Ravio’s hands moved towards a long shape shimmying slowly downriver atop the water. Its body flashed in the sun.

Link’s gut dropped, and he crashed into the water. _“Ravio, don’t touch it!”_

“Huh?” Ravio looked up, and the rope swimming towards him put on a burst of speed. He gasped when he felt its fangs sink into his left thigh. Link kicked water at it, and the monster fled further downriver with a hiss.

“Link?” Ravio rubbed at the blood bleeding through his pants. “Link, what was that? Hey!” Ravio gasped again when he was swept up into Link’s arms. He clutched at Link’s tunic while the Regn Hylian rushed through the river and stumbled up the bank. “Link, what--” Ravio cut off when a wave of lightheadedness washed over him. His thigh started to ache. 

Sweat had broken out on Ravio’s brow by the time Link reached camp. He yelled Ganondorf’s name as he neared, and the Gerudo helped him to lower Ravio down onto the ground. “Rope bite,” Link explained in a tight, breaking voice. 

“Link?” Ravio reached for Link when the Regn Hylian drew away, but Link pulled his arm free and backed up.

“He’s going to die,” Link said as tears came to his eyes. “He’s going to die, and it’s my fault.”

“Shut up!” Ganondorf hissed at him. Ravio was looking between them with wide eyes. “Is there a cure?”

“I… I…”

“Am I going to die?” Ravio cut in. He grasped at Ganondorf’s hand, and the Gerudo held it tight. “I don’t want to die again!”

“Shhh, shhh.” Ganondorf ripped open Ravio’s pant leg and dropped a hand onto the bite. The skin around it was flushed with heat, and turning a sickly blue. Ganondorf fell to muttering words under his breath. Ravio squirmed and dug his fingers into the ground. He relaxed a minute later, and his eyes slipped closed.

Ganondorf stood up and shook the cramp out of his hand. “I’ve stopped the poison’s spread for now, but I can’t eliminate it. It’s already in his heart. I would have to take out his blood, and that would kill him. Now, I can hold him like this for an hour--no more--before my magic itself starts killing him. Is there a cure?”

Link dropped his head into his hands and closed his eyes. 

“Link--”

_“I’m thinking!”_

Ganondorf waited. He could see the emotions Link was trying to hold back. They flickered over his closed face behind his shaking hands. No doubt memories were building up in his head. Ganondorf walked over to him and replaced Link’s hands with his own. His fingers pushed up over the temples, and the tremble in Link’s jaw faded. His touch cleared Link’s mind, and the Regn Hylian’s eyes fixed on something only he could see.

“Ager bloom,” Link whispered after a half-minute’s thought. 

Ganondorf dropped his hands. “What’s that?”

“A… a flower,” Link replied. He blinked away lingering tears. “It’s purple and yellow. It grew near our lake. We used it as medicine for… for snake poisoning!”

“You mean Helvus Lake?” Ganondorf asked. “Would it grow around here?”

“I don’t know,” Link said with a shake of his head. He took off for the river, but not before shouting back, “Watch over Ravio!”

There was plenty of foliage along the river’s bank. Link walked up and down on one side before crossing over to the other, but there was no ager bloom that he could find. He searched again, moving further in both directions, on both sides. But as the minutes passed, doubt and fear crept further in along with the guilt and shame already darkening Link’s thoughts. It was his fault. Someone was once again going to die because of him. The self-blame overwhelmed him, and he sat down on the bank and cried into his hands. 

Someone called Link’s name. He looked up with a gasp, thinking it was Zelda. He scanned the bank on either side of him, and his eyes caught sight of something. He leaned over on an elbow and parted a tall patch of grass. The striped petals of ager bloom greeted him. 

Link choked out a sob of joy and carefully uprooted the plant. He carried it to camp clutched tight against his chest. Ganondorf was keeping watch by Ravio. He gained his feet with wide eyes when Link ran into camp with the plant. 

“Get the fire going,” Link ordered before diving into the saddlebags for other supplies.

Preparing the ager bloom gave Link an intense air of focus that had been absent from him for weeks. Ganondorf marveled at it, along with Link’s expertise in medicine--skills learned from both Impa and from taking care of Colin in Rusl’s place. The vibrant flower became a milky solution that was boiled over the fire before cooled with a bit of Ganondorf’s magic. Ravio was woken up, and he at once began to cry when the poison resumed filling his body with pain and heat with a vengeance. 

“Hey, Rav,” Link whispered. The nickname was on impulse, and it drew Ravio’s attention from his pain. Link helped him to sit up against the pile of saddlebags. “This is going to help you,” Link explained. I hope he tacked on silently. He pressed a shallow bowl of the medicine into Ravio’s hands. “I want you to swish around each sip in your mouth for three seconds before swallowing, okay?”

Ravio did as he was told, and slowly the medicine vanished from the bowl. Once it was gone, Link carried Ravio into his tent and made him comfortable. The medicine put the boy to sleep in short time. Link sat down beside him, and Ganondorf poked his head in. 

“How long until we know it’s worked?”

“I don’t know,” Link replied. He picked up gauze and medicine he had grabbed from the saddlebags and fell to cleaning and wrapping Ravio’s bite. Ganondorf withdrew from the tent.

Ravio slept for two days, during which Link rarely left his side. He didn’t sleep or eat, and he fed half of his water into Ravio’s mouth. The boy swallowed automatically, but otherwise didn’t show any signs of consciousness. More than once, Ganondorf heard Link talking to Ravio; telling him stories of his adventures, or fairy tales. Many of the latter were about rabbits.

When Zelda checked in one night, Link left Ravio’s side long enough to ask her if she had sent him any sort of message that had led him to the ager bloom. Zelda was quiet long enough to suggest she was lying when she answered, “No.” But why would she lie about something like that? Link chalked the worry up to his sleep deprivation. 

Ravio woke up in the middle of the third day after his poisoning. Link watched in trepidation as the boy’s eyes struggled to stay open for an hour before they finally widened at the sight of him. “Hey, Link,” Ravio murmured. “Am I better yet?”

Link nodded, and he helped Ravio sit up when asked. The boy leaned heavily on him and rested his head against Link’s chest.

“I had a dream you were telling me stories,” Ravio said. “I liked the one about the rabbit in the moon. Can you tell me it again?”

_“Gese,”_ Link whispered, and he hugged Ravio tight.

“What’s that mean?”

_“Gese?_ It’s ‘yes’ in Sheikan.”

“Oh. Hey! What’s ‘rabbit’?”

_“Rabeta.”_

_“Ra… beta._ Hey!” Ravio looked up at the bearded head that poked into the tent. “I’m better,” he announced with a smile.

“I see that,” Ganondorf said. There was obvious relief in his face as he looked over Ravio cradled in Link’s arms. “When you’re ready to get up, come have some lunch.” 

The bite was only two dots on Ravio’s leg, and his strength and energy returned over the course of the day. By dinner, it was as if he was never sick. He ate by Link’s side, and spent the night between the Regn Hylian and Ganondorf. Link told him stories to coax him off to sleep. 

#

Ravio wanted to go to the river the next morning. It took a lot of convincing before Link allowed him, and only with supervision. They and Ganondorf walked to the river after breakfast, and Ravio at once rolled up his pants and waded out into the water.

“Rav!” Link called in a tight voice. _“Lytel rabeta,_ be careful!”

“Relax,” Ganondorf urged, and he put a hand on Link’s tense shoulder. 

“But… There could be ropes, or worse!”

“Relax,” Ganondorf said again. He waded out and lay down in the shallows to let the water flow over his chest. 

Link fretted for a half-hour on the bank before Ravio shouted. He jerked with a gasp, but the shout was one of joy. Ravio waded to him with his hands cupped tightly together and full of water. Within the water was a silver minnow, hardly bigger than Ravio’s pinkie.

“Does this count?” Ravio asked before he lowered the minnow back into the river. “I show mercy and release it.” The minnow swam away from his hands and into the shadow of the bank. “Did that count?” he asked again.

“Of course it did,” Link answered. He kissed Ravio’s nose and hugged him tight.

“So I’m Regn now?” Ravio asked within Link’s arms.

_“Gese,”_ Link answered, and the boy brimmed over with happiness.

**#######**

**Translations**

_bindasta:_ [Gerudian] bastard


	7. Fostering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group continues their journey, and Ravio picks up a few things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I hope you like cute Ravio because he is pretty cute in this chapter.
> 
> Enjoy, thanks!

# Undertow

### Chapter Six: Fostering

The river was left behind the next day when the group moved on. Ravio rode with Link, and he listened to stories as well as learned Sheikan words for the animals and scenery that passed by. Epona was an _eoh_ \--horse. Kara was a _monstrum_ \--monster; but a kind one, Link stressed.

Ravio wasn’t as fast a learner as Link was in his youth, but he was just as determined. By the end of the week, during which they moved camp twice, he had learned roughly twenty words that he tossed into his speech at will. It cheered Link to see him learning the language, and it cheered Ganondorf to see the two of them getting along so well. In fact, Link quickly grew over-protective of Ravio to the point where Ganondorf had to step in and remind him that danger didn’t lurk behind every leaf. 

“He has to learn to take care of himself,” Ganondorf explained while Ravio searched the area for familiar herbs. Link kept trying to break away to shadow the boy--What if he plucked something dangerous?--but he was made to sit down and relax. “If you’re that worried about him,” Ganondorf continued, “we’ll teach him how to use a bow and sword.”

Link agreed, and at the next large market town they came across they set about getting Ravio’s equipment. The boy was enthusiastic about learning archery and swordplay, even if he was a little unsure of whatever skill he might have. 

At the edge of the merchant area, Ganondorf stopped the group and said, “Link, you’re better at the bow than me, so you get that. I’ll take the sword. Ravio, who do you want to go with?”

Ravio’s answer was to take hold of Link’s hanging hand, and Ganondorf chuckled. “See you both in a bit then,” he said before breaking away. 

Ravio fell in step alongside Link, and they turned their steps towards the market. Within an arms shop Link found a practice bow and quiver for Ravio; the boy’s hands shook when he accepted them.

“Am I going to be like you now?” Ravio asked after he and Link left the shop. The bow was slung over his chest, and the quiver knocked around at his back.

Link plucked at his own bowstring that crossed his chest and answered, “Kind of.”

Ravio frowned, and in a quiet voice he asked, “What do you mean by that?” 

“Well, you should always try to be yourself,” Link told him. “You should like your own things, and don’t always go with the flow just because it’s easier. If you want to do something someone else can’t, don’t be discouraged or scared. Listen to your own heart. Get it?”

“I think so,” Ravio answered in a hesitating voice. He fell to marking each stall and shop they passed on their way to meet Ganondorf. 

Link sighed. “Sorry,” he said. “I’m really not one to give advice. Gan’s better at that.”

“No!” Ravio hugged Link’s side. “It’s good advice.”

“Oh.” Link’s cheeks grew hot. “Okay.” He spied Ganondorf. “Look who it is.”

Ravio ran ahead with a cheer, and by the time Link rejoined him the boy was admiring the wooden sword Ganondorf had bought for him. 

“Here I thought you would have bought him a claymore,” Link said, only half-joking. 

“I considered it,” Ganondorf said with a smirk. “Anything else we need?”

“I don’t think so. You got the--”

“Yeah.”

“And the--”

_“Ja.”_

Link nodded. “I think that’s it then. Come on, Rav.” Link looked down, but there was no boy beside him. “Rav?”

“He was just there,” Ganondorf said as Link whirled around and scanned the street. 

Link’s throat tightened, and his eyes went to every person crossing his line of sight. _“Lytel rabeta!”_ he called. People glanced at him, and he saw ill intent in all of their faces.

“Easy, easy,” Ganondorf said. “He couldn’t have gone far. Maybe he’s in one of the shops.”

“We should split up--”

“You’re in no state to be away from me.” Ganondorf put a guiding hand on Link’s shoulder. “Come on.”

“But what if he’s hurt? Or what if someone has him?” Link’s worries fell on deaf ears, and he was forced to walk with Ganondorf as they checked each shop. It was at an irritatingly slow pace. Link wanted to run. He wanted to shake down each person who glanced at him. 

They found Ravio in a clothing shop. The clerk pointed them to the back where racks of costumes hung, and Link finally broke away from Ganondorf to kneel in front of the boy.

“Hey, Link--”

“Don’t you dare run off like that again!”

Ganondorf sighed.

“We were worried sick about you!” Link continued. “We didn’t know where you were, you just vanished without a word--”

“I’m sorry,” Ravio said in a small voice. 

“Sorry isn’t good enough! What if another monster had hurt you? Or what about Ghirahim? We told you about him, remember?”

“I’m sorry,” Ravio repeated, and he drew back from Link’s flushed, angry face. “I only wanted to look at the costumes.”

“That’s not an--” Link’s chastening was cut off by both of Ganondorf’s hands when they fell over his mouth. Link’s eyes narrowed, and he pushed and pulled at Ganondorf’s arms, but Ganondorf pressed Link against his legs, stilling most of his struggles. 

“What Link is trying to say,” Ganondorf explained to Ravio, “is that you should always let us know where you’re going before you run off. Link himself has been hurt lots of times because he didn’t tell anyone where he was going. We don’t want that to happen to you.”

“Okay,” Ravio whispered. 

Ganondorf dropped his hands, and Link made to scowl at him. The look dropped away when Ravio ran forward and hugged him. 

“Try to remember that you’re not Lady Impa,” Ganondorf murmured to Link. The Regn Hylian nodded after a pause, and Ganondorf asked in a louder voice, “Ravio, what about these costumes?”

Ravio broke away from Link, and the adults watched him point out a purple, hooded robe. “It’s a _rabeta!”_ Ravio said, cheerfully. The robe’s hood had floppy ears, large eyes, and rabbit’s teeth. A black and blue striped scarf accented it.

Link took the costume down, and Ravio wiggled into it after removing his bow and quiver. It was a little big on him; the hood fell over half his face. As soon as his arms were through the sleeves, it was clear he was in love. He hugged his chest and giggled.

“He’s cute, _neh?”_ Ganondorf remarked.

“Mmmm.” Link’s mouth was a thin line, and some of the anger hadn’t yet left his eyes.

Ravio pushed his hood back from his face and asked Ganondorf in a timid voice, “C-Can I have it?”

“Oh, that is a question you have to ask Link,” Ganondorf said. 

Ravio’s hands worked together, and he turned pleading eyes onto Link to ask, _“Placare?”_

Ganondorf burst into laughter and walked back to the front of the shop to gain control over his mirth. Link was left to wrestle with Ravio’s puppy-eyed look alone, and he didn’t last long. It was only seconds later when Ravio ran up to the counter with the costume still on. Link paid out of Ganondorf’s bottomless wallet. 

The costume only came off at dinner when the sleeves interfered with Ravio’s ability to hold his fork. As soon as the plates were clean, however, the costume went back on. Ravio fell asleep in it by the fire, and Link eased it off of him before tucking the boy into his tent. He rejoined Ganondorf by the fire and rested his head in the Gerudo’s lap. 

“Hey,” Ganondorf began, hesitantly, after a few minutes of quiet. Link looked up into his troubled face. “What are you going to do with him?”

“Ravio?” Link asked, and Ganondorf nodded. “I’m taking care of him.”

“I mean when we go back home.”

“Oh.” Link thought on the question “I’ll still take care of him.”

“Are you going to settle down in the castle?” Ganondorf asked. He felt Link’s head shake furiously. “A life in Hyrule Field is no life for a kid, little fish. He needs to be with children his own age, and he needs to learn.”

“I can teach him,” Link at once said. 

“It’s no life for a kid,” Ganondorf repeated. “He needs stability. He needs the room to grow into his own person, and the experience to help shape that growth. He won’t get that following you around in the wild.” He paused significantly and added, “There are also monsters to worry about. Or did you fail to notice they haven’t left us alone despite Ravio coming with us? Just two days ago we had to scare off some bulbins.”

Link frowned when he recalled the incident. “So what do you suggest?” he asked a little testily.

“Well… You could come stay with me and Nabooru. Both of you.”

“What?” Link sat up and turned to stare at Ganondorf. “Are you serious?”

“Well excuse me,” Ganondorf huffed. “Dare I try to suggest you change your habits.”

“What? No! _Sant bregeta_ …” Link smacked Ganondorf lightly on the head. “Of course it sounds great.”

“Really?” Ganondorf brightened. “I didn’t think you would agree, honestly. I figured you would be too attached to your nomadic life.”

Link shrugged and dug at the ground. Random shapes spilled out behind his finger. “I think after this journey, I’ll be done with wandering.” He sighed. “It’s time I find some stability, too.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Ganondorf said. “So the decision’s official?”

Link glanced up at the stars. “Yeah,” he answered with a small smile. It widened before he said, “But you have to tell Impa.”

Ganondorf groaned and covered his face in anguish, and Link laughed. “Later,” the Gerudo said. “I’m not waking her up with that news.”

“Fraidy-cat,” Link teased. He lowered his head back to Ganondorf’s lap, closed his eyes, and folded his hands atop his chest just below his necklaces. 

Ganondorf watched the breaths slow, and felt the muscles in Link’s neck and shoulders relax. They tensed again a quarter-hour later, and Link sat up with a gasp. Ganondorf asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Hyrule,” Link replied. “Whenever I dream now, it’s all I see. Hyrule burning.”

“War?” Ganondorf suggested. 

Link shook his head. “Something about it doesn’t tell me it’s war.”

“Have you talked to Princess Zelda about it?”

“Yeah. She says everything’s peaceful. But like I said, I don’t think it’s war.” 

He sounded a little testy for repeating himself. Or perhaps there was more on his mind than he was letting on. “You want to tell me something?” Ganondorf asked him.

Link’s lips moved as if he was going to answer, but he only shook his head. “Sorry,” he added when he noticed Ganondorf sag with disappointment. “I just need to think a little more on what this dream is trying to tell me before I start troubling you with it.” Link lay down again. “Hey, can you play something? I always sleep better when you do.”

Ganondorf flicked his wrist, and his lute appeared with a twang of strings. He strummed a chord before falling into a tune, and he began to sing in a low voice.

_“I walked through the desert_  
_And found only sand_  
_My faith pulled me forward_  
_And guided me_  
_My steps vanished fast_  
_In the shifting land_  
_I sought out salvation_  
_In a sand sea_

_The Goddesses’ tears flow no more_  
_Where once their salt brushed the shore_  
_There’s no one to die for a sinning child_  
_There’s no one to cry for the lost wild_  
_Of a youth and a world turned sore_

_I walked through the desert_  
_And found only sand_  
_My faith lifted me up_  
_And carried me_  
_My path mattered not_  
_In a world not at hand_  
_But I would make certain the future_  
_That could be_

_The Goddesses’ tears flow no more_  
_Where once their salt brushed the shore_  
_I die here alone a helpless child_  
_I die here alone as the dry wild_  
_Closes in to make my death sure_

_I walked through the desert_  
_And found more than sand_  
_I have carved out the path_  
_Ahead for thee_  
_Do not fear the passage_  
_Do not stray from this land_  
_For there is indeed hope here_  
_You will see_

_The Goddesses tears flow no more_  
_Save for happiness on this vibrant shore_  
_I am here for you, my lonely child_  
_I will watch over you as you while_  
_Away your time in this budding world…”_

#

They moved camp the next day, and after the traveling and preparations were done Ravio was eager to begin swordplay lessons with Ganondorf. Link was less-so. The first time Ganondorf’s practice sword touched Ravio, the Regn Hylian was at once by the boy’s side; checking over him, reassuring him, and suggesting he really didn’t have to do this if he didn’t want to.

“Link!” Ganondorf barked good-naturedly, “the kid’s gotta learn.”

“Yeah, I gotta learn,” Ravio echoed with a smile. 

Link’s lips pressed together, but he retreated to the side where he sat upon a stump. Ganondorf and Ravio resumed their practice, leaving Link to tense, lean, and clench his hands with every motion. 

“I think that’s enough for today,” Ganondorf said an hour later. Ravio’s limp was more pronounced, and frustration was working into his face. “You did good,” Ganondorf praised.

Ravio beamed and rushed to Link. “Hear that?” he asked with a wide smile. “I did good! Soon I’ll be as good as you, _neh?”_

Link smiled at the bit of slang Ravio had picked up. “I’m sure,” he said, and he ruffled Ravio’s dark hair. “But you have a bit of a ways to go.”

“I know,” Ravio said with a nod. “Is it your turn to practice now?”

“It is,” Ganondorf answered for Link. He beckoned to Regn Hylian to him before sitting down in the middle of the circle he had burned into the grass. Link groaned, but he walked into the circle and sat down. His and Ganondorf’s palms came together, and they dropped into the familiar darkness of the mind space.

Ganondorf opened his eyes and looked to Ravio. A jerk of his chin brought the boy over, and he asked, “Do you want to help?”

Ravio looked at Link’s closed eyes. The eyelids twitched, and his mouth moved with the occasional silent word. Ravio nodded.

It was black for almost a whole minute. Link wondered what Ganondorf was doing. Perhaps he couldn’t decide on a scenario. Link waited on tenterhooks and felt an odd sense of relief when the scenery began to fill in. The relief didn’t last long.

“Ravio?” Link stared down at the boy, who stood in front of him in the midst of Hyrule Field. He smiled up at Link, but his eyes jerked to the left. He screamed when a thin shadow fell over him.

Link spun and raised the shield on his arm. Ganondorf’s sword fell against it in a burst of sparks, and Link shoved it away. He put himself between Ravio and Ganondorf, and glared at the Gerudo with his sword in hand.

Ganondorf’s eyes were dark, and an evil smirk pulled at his lips. “You can’t protect him,” he hissed in an almost demonic voice. Shadows licked at the outline of his body, which flexed and blurred. It was as if a beast was trying to break through him. 

“You won’t hurt him,” Link returned with determination in his eyes, body, and tone. 

Ganondorf took the words as an invitation to try. Ravio’s scream cut the air again, and there was a splash of red in the corner of Link’s eye. He hadn’t seen Ganondorf move, but now blood poured out of Ravio’s bad leg. It collapsed under him, and he looked up at the sword falling towards his head. 

Another sword stopped Ganondorf’s. Its helix blade caught the thinner sword and flung it away. Ganondorf leapt back and recollected his blade with a flick of his fingers. He dropped his guise, and he and Ravio stared at the other person who was breaking through Link’s body. 

“Link!” Ganondorf called when the Regn Hylian cried out and dropped onto his knees. The sword in his hand flickered between forms. Link’s back swelled with muscle before thinning out once more. 

“Ravio, get out!” Ganondorf called to the boy next. Ravio jerked, closed his eyes, and vanished. With him gone, Ganondorf approached Link with a hand stretched out. “Link, I’m sorry. I only thought it would help you. Let me--”

Link gained his feet with a cry of rage, and his sword swung out. Ganondorf parried it, but Link pressed forward, once more in his own body and mind. The rage hadn’t retreated, but it was now alongside cold focus. Link forced Ganondorf to backtrack across the field, leaving no openings to retaliate against the sword that flashed and swung for any opening it could find. It was no longer Rusl’s old sword. The hilt was a burning blue, and the blade shined with pure light. 

The change distracted Ganondorf, and the sword bit into his arm when he failed to get out of its range. Link’s shield batted away his weak retaliating slash, and a firm boot knocked the Gerudo off-balance and to the ground. He gasped and jerked out of the mind space when the shining sword pieced his heart.

_“Don’t you dare involve him again!”_

Ganondorf’s hands shot out. One of them caught Link around the neck, and the other seized his wrist before the short blade could find a target. Still, Link strained against Ganondorf’s grip; his face contorted with anger. His eyes clouded over only to clear, again and again. His sleeve’s hem ripped open when the arm within it thickened with muscle.

“Link,” Ganondorf whispered. The short blade gained an inch. “Link, look at Ravio!”

It took some effort to force Link’s head to the left. Ravio stood a distance away with his hands over his mouth. He looked too frightened to speak, but Link heard him whisper, “Stop.”

“Look at him!” Ganondorf hissed. “You’re scaring him!”

_“Just stop!”_ Ravio screamed, and he broke down into tears. 

Link slackened, and the short blade fell from his hand to drop to the ground by Ganondorf’s knee. The Gerudo loosened his grip, leaving Link to sink down to the ground. His face was drained of color, and he hid it in a hand. Ravio ran forward into Link’s arms, startling him. The boy clung to him and sobbed into his shoulder, and Link rubbed his back. 

Ganondorf pushed himself onto his feet and pawed at his chest. His mind was still telling him a sword was there. He put the distracting thoughts aside and said, “I’m sorry. I only did what I thought had to be done.” 

“It’s okay,” Link said, which surprised Ganondorf. “I’m sorry for the way I acted. I… I let him in.”

“But you kept control over yourself, and you bested me,” Ganondorf added. “That’s what’s most important.”

“But when I came back--”

“Yes, you came back,” Ganondorf cut in. “Hey, Ravio.” The boy turned his head to look at Ganondorf with wet eyes. “Can you forgive me?”

Ravio wiped at his nose. “You said it was to help Link, so it’s okay. I just got scared.”

“Me too,” Ganondorf said with a smile, and Ravio smiled a little himself. 

“Why did that happen?” Link asked in a frightened whisper. He glanced at his ripped sleeve. “I don’t understand. You got rid of the curse.”

“But it was in you for a while beforehand,” Ganondorf reminded him. “It could be there are some traces left, mixed in with everything else.” Link’s lips thinned. “Come on, let’s talk about it a little.” Ganondorf dropped a hand onto Link’s shoulder, and the group returned to camp.

They talked for an hour, and afterwards Link felt much better. He was able to put into words the feelings that had driven his rash attack. It helped him to see how he could prevent the same thing from happening again. When the talking was done, the group decided it would be best to relax for the rest of the evening. Link started Ravio on archery with a few basic pointers on his stance and draw while Ganondorf cooked dinner. 

With their stomachs full, they spent the rest of the waning daylight with stories and songs before falling into a comforting quiet. While Ganondorf washed the dishes outside camp, Ravio fought against sleep in Link’s lap; curled up with the Regn Hylian’s arms around him. His fingers played with the strings at Link’s collar before he pressed his nose into the red fabric. “You’re warm.”

Link chuckled. “Am I?”

“Yeah,” Ravio murmured. His blinks taking longer. “Just like my mom.”

“Your… You mean…”

Ravio yawned. “An eagle took her away.” His eyes didn’t open again. “Don’t go away too.”

“I won’t,” Link promised. 

“Good,” Ravio sighed. “Hey, can I call you Mom now?”

“Uh…” Link laughed a little and blushed. “Well… How ‘bout you call me _Saio_ instead?”

“Does that mean ‘Mom’ in Sheikan?”

“No, not exactly. It’s sort of a word for ‘guardian.’”

Some remnant energy fought through Ravio’s tiring eyes and he lifted his head to ask in a bright voice, “I can call you that?”

“Sure,” Link answered.

Ravio smiled, yawned, and dropped his head to Link’s chest once more. “What should I call Ganondorf?”

“Um…” Link had to search for the term. He hadn’t used it often. _“Faedra._ That’s the Gerudian word for something like _Saio.”_

“Okay,” Ravio murmured. His eyes closed, and he relaxed with a sigh.

Link dropped his chin to Ravio’s head and closed his eyes. He was still in this small peace when Ganondorf returned from cleaning the dinner dishes. Ravio snored softly against Link’s tunic.

Ganondorf stored away the dishes and took his seat opposite Link. For a minute, he studied the Regn Hylian and his young charge while he thought on the past near-three years; on what had been slowly accomplished, and on what had happened this day. 

“Hey,” Ganondorf called softly, and Link opened his eyes. “Let’s go home.”

Link chuckled and pressed a kiss to Ravio’s head. The boy shifted a little when Link carefully stood up with him in his arms and moved towards the tent.

“I’m serious,” Ganondorf insisted. Link said nothing, ducked into Ravio’s tent for a minute, and left it empty-handed. “The map shows Amber Port is a few days’ ride from here,” Ganondorf picked up as Link neared him. “I know there are Hyrulean boats that make berth there. We could be home in a month. Think about--” He broke off when a finger fell against his lips. 

“If we’re going home, I want you to do something for me when we get there,” Link said. He dropped his hand and returned to his seat; Ganondorf waited. “The day Ravio found us, you were talking about using blood magic to counter my curse.”

It wasn’t what Ganondorf had expected to hear. “It’s possible it might work,” he said when he was past his surprise. “From what you’ve told me, and from what I’ve seen, the source of the curse is the Dark Wolfos’s blood in you. It’s like a disease.”

“And blood magic might be the cure?” Link asked, a little skeptical.

“I think so,” Ganondorf replied. “At the very least it wouldn’t hurt. And as I’ve said, I won’t make the same mistakes I made before when I tried to help you.”

Link nodded and wrung his hands for a minute while he studied the campfire. “I don’t ever want to put Ravio in harm’s way again,” he eventually said. “So I have to take what steps I can to make sure he’s safe. This curse will follow me wherever I go, but if I can at least keep it back a little…” He nodded. “A _tatau_ again?”

“That would be best,” Ganondorf replied. “The permanent mark will give the magic strength.”

Link nodded again. “All right, I’ll do it. For Ravio, and for myself.”

“And me too?” Ganondorf asked with an exaggerated bat of his eyes. 

Link smiled. “Yeah, I suppose.” He stood up, dug around in the saddlebags, and sat down again by Ganondorf’s side. The gossip stone glowed in his hand when he called Impa’s name. 

“Good morning,” Impa yawned when she answered Link’s call. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes,” Link assured her. “Impa… We’re coming home.”

**#######**

**Translations:**

_Ja:_ [Gerudian] Yes.

Placare: [Sheikan] Please

_Saio_ and _Faedra:_ I drew _Saio_ from ‘sire,’ which itself was drawn from ‘father.’ However, this Sheikan term is genderless and thus can be used for anyone who takes on a parental or guardian role that isn’t strictly teacher/student. As for _Faedra,_ that’s the direct Gerudian word for ‘father’ used for both a parent and for a male person who cares for a child.

_Tatau:_ [Gerudian] This word is the borrowed Polynesian word for “tattoo”.


	8. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the decision to return home made Link, Ganondorf, and Ravio make their way to Hyrule, but not before a night spent on the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **I had to up the rating on this fic because this chapter has a nsfw scene in it** and there will likely be at least one more in the future. 
> 
> Some ganlink in this one, so that's that.
> 
> Please enjoy, thanks!

# Undertow

### Chapter Seven: Homecoming

For the three days’ ride to Amber Port, Link filled Ravio’s head with stories and images of Hyrule. The boy had only ever known the copse he grew up in, so to hear of this new land was a treat for him. He sat still, enraptured by Link’s tales--as well as Ganondorf’s more-than-occasional additions--from morning to night. Gradually the air grew saltier, and the roads converged and became more populated. 

Ravio soaked in the new sights with wide eyes from Epona’s saddle, but when they came within sight of the port, he sucked in a startled breath and remarked to Link in a whisper, “That’s a big lake!”

“It’s not a lake, it’s the sea,” Link corrected.

“What’s the sea?” 

“It’s like a lake, but it’s so much bigger--bigger than a hundred lakes--and more dangerous, too. But if you respect it, it’s one of the most wonderful things in the world.”

They reached the port, and Ganondorf split off to see about passage on one of the many ships that lined its length. Link and Ravio walked along, taking in the sights. People smiled down at Ravio in his costume, and he blushed and hid his red face in Link’s thigh with a giggle each time. Ganondorf found them a while later, and they bought sandwiches--pork for Link and Ganondorf, and grilled vegetable for Ravio--before taking a seat away from the flow of the crowd. 

“There’s a ship leaving tomorrow for Hyrule--the _Jabu-Jabu,”_ Ganondorf relayed. “It’s captained by a Zora I know. He’ll take us to the southern Sap Port, and from there we can cut through the Lost Woods to Hyrule proper.”

“The Lost Woods…” Link frowned and glanced at Ravio, who was only half-listening around bites of his sandwich. “Could be dangerous…”

“It’s either a day’s journey through there, or another three days on sea through big octo territory until we reach Zora Cape,” Ganondorf said. “Which do you prefer? Personally, I think the Lost Woods would be less dangerous, not to mention quicker.”

Link thought on the question while he and Ganondorf worked through their sandwiches; Ravio had finished his and was watching the crowd. When he had swallowed his last bite, Link said, “Between the two of us, we can handle anything that comes our way in the Lost Woods, _neh?”_ Ganondorf nodded. “So we’ll get off at Sap Port. I’m… I’m excited. We’re going home.” He smiled, seeming to be surprised by his own eagerness. 

“That leaves us to waste time until tomorrow morning,” Ganondorf said. He poked Ravio’s shoulder to get his attention, and the boy’s hooded face swung away from the crowd. “What do you say? Want to spend the day and night by the sea?”

“Yes!” Both Ravio and Link answered together, and Ganondorf laughed.

They journeyed along the sea to a quiet beach where the ships and people were out of sight and sound. The tents were pitched on a flat stretch of sandy ground high above the tide line, the horses were freed, and the group stripped down to their pants. The water here was calmer than at Zora Cape, but Ravio was hesitant when Link encouraged him to walk into the edges of the incoming waves. The boy’s toes curled in the sand, and he shook his head. 

Link didn’t know what to do. The sea called to him. It felt like a warm breath moving up his back, and he shivered with anticipation. But his concern for Ravio kept him out of the water. 

Ganondorf saw the dilemma in Link’s face, and he walked up to Ravio with a different suggestion. “How ‘bout I teach you how to build a sand castle instead? The little fish is big enough to go swimming on his own.”

Ravio giggled and nodded, and Link cast Ganondorf a look of relief before he vanished into the surf. His head and shoulders could occasionally be seen while Ganondorf guided Ravio through his first sand castle. The incoming waves helped fill the moat Ravio dug around it, and familiarize the boy with the cold, salty sea.

Link trudged out of the water half an hour later with something in his hand. He kicked off a piece of seaweed before dropping to his knees beside Castle Rabbit, as it was called. “Look,” he said, and he handed Ravio a conch shell. 

Ravio gasped. “It’s like the one on your saddle!” He ran his fingers along the smooth, pink inside. “It’s pretty. Thank you, _Saio!”_ Ravio threw his arms over Link, and his small knee flattened Castle Rabbit’s east wing. “Oops…”

Link and Ganondorf laughed, and then Ravio asked in a tentative voice if Link was okay with it maybe he could try seeing what it was like in the water, but _only_ if Link held him tight and promised not to let go.

Ganondorf fell to repairing the castle, and Link walked Ravio out into the waves with a firm hand around the boy’s smaller one. The sea pushed and pulled harder on the Ravio’s thin legs, and he gasped and clung tight to Link’s hips when he felt the sand pulling away from beneath his feet. 

Link swung Ravio up into his arms and waded deeper into the water. Ravio watched the foam cling to Link’s pants, and then his skin when his beltline dropped beneath the water; Ravio’s feet were submerged. He smacked his lips against a spray of the salty water and stretched down to run his fingers through it.

“There are some biri in the water, so be careful,” Link warned. 

“What are biri?” Ravio asked in a bit of a frightened voice.

“They’re a type of jellyfish--a creature that lives in the sea and has long tentacles that sting.”

“Like the rope bite?”

“Well, not as bad as that, but still pretty bad.”

“Okay.” Ravio cast his eyes down. “I don’t see anything, so that’s good, neh?”

“They’re a little further out. Where… Where I was swimming.” Link paused, swallowed, and asked in a brighter voice, “Do you want to see them?”

Ravio sucked in a sharp breath, held it, and let it out with a nod. “I want to be brave like you.”

“Okay,” Link said. “How long can you hold your breath now?”

“Almost a minute! I’ve been practicing.”

“Good! Hang on to my back, and when I say so hold your breath.”

Ravio clung tight as told, and Link pushed further out into the water before diving. He stretched his legs down and hung in the water within easy reach of the surface. Ravio’s arm shot out, slowed a little by the sea, and he pointed to a blue jellyfish with a dome-like bell and many thin tentacles. They watched it push its way through the water until Ravio tapped on Link’s shoulder. 

As soon as Ravio’s breath was restored, he said, “Let’s go down again!” 

Link nodded, and he dove down. There were more biri already, but nearly all of them were concentrated away from Link and Ravio. A stray one scrunched by, and Link reached out to trail his fingers over its bell. The translucent body flashed a rainbow of colors under his gentle touch. Some of Ravio’s air escaped in a muffled giggle. They refilled their lungs again and dove down a third time. A sea turtle joined them, and they watched it take bites out of a biri before Ravio tapped rapidly on Link’s shoulder. 

“It was eating it alive,” Ravio whispered as soon as he had the breath. He was shaken up, so Link took him back to the shore. He cheered up a little over dinner, and he rejoined Link in the water before it grew too dark to swim. They didn’t dive down again, but a crab pinched Link’s foot. To see him hopping around, cursing in four languages, sent both Ganondorf and Ravio into a fit of breathless laughter.

After half a day of swimming, there was no need for a story to send Ravio off to sleep. His eyes closed when his head touched his pillow, and they didn’t open again. Link pulled a thin blanket over him against the cool breeze coming off of the sea, kissed his brow, and joined Ganondorf on the sand close to the tide line. The sea shined with the overhead moon and the pale blue glow of the biri within the depths. The sand castle’s silhouette stood out against it.

Ganondorf was halfway through a cigarette; the odor was the duller, local variety. “Can’t wait to get home and have the real stuff,” he remarked. “Beds are going to be nice to have again, too.”

“You never wanted to stay in an inn,” Link reminded him.

“And why would I? _You_ never wanted to.”

“You never asked, as I recall.”

“Because I always knew the answer. _‘Neh, sant bregeta’”_

“Got me all figured out, don’t you?”

“Oh I hope not. I’m always eager to learn more.”

“Uh-huh.” Link leaned over and braced his right hand against the sand while the other reached for Ganondorf’s hip. “Come here, little guy.”

Ganondorf moved in, but Link leaned past him to pluck a climbing hermit crab off of the Gerudo’s pants. “Are you kidding me--”

Link laughed and lowered the hermit crab onto the sand to his right. After a few seconds legs and eyes emerged, and the hermit crab scuttled off. The sheared back of Link’s head erased its tiny tracks when Ganondorf pushed him down. His mouth found Link’s neck, and his fingers dug into the mess of scars on his abdomen.

Link gasped, his hips rose and dropped down, and he snapped breathlessly, _“Aethla_ I hate it when you do that.”

“No you don’t,” Ganondorf said around a smirk against Link’s skin. 

“Your beard is scratchy,” Link griped. A hand down the front of his pants quieted his grumbles and dragged a moan out of his throat before long. Ganondorf’s mouth caught the sound, his teeth pulled at Link’s lip, and he tugged on what remained of the Hylian’s hair. Link’s head was pulled back, arcing his neck; a pale line under the moonlight. Ganondorf darkened it a little with a bruise; using teeth, tongue, and lips to draw out the spot of color.

Over their journey together, Ganondorf had carefully learned what was allowed and what was forbidden--and even those were subject to Link’s moods and desires. The Hylian was fond of roughness, and he liked leading Ganondorf into a mindset that the Gerudo was in control, only to flip that control on its head. And Ganondorf liked being misled. Searching for that turning point was a game in itself.

But how far would Link go tonight? They hadn’t properly fucked in almost a year, so maybe… But that was a delicate proposition, and one that was, again, up to Link. They had been close not long ago at the lake, and another night may have put Link in the right mood if not for the Hiedor incident. Since then, the Regn Hylian had been largely distant when it came to physical expression. Until he knew for sure what would happen tonight, Ganondorf worked on doing what he knew Link liked, and what pleasured both of them. Leaving the now-blemished neck, he didn’t linger long on the Hylian’s nipples, but he bit down hard on the hip scarring to great effect. 

It was a good thing Ravio was a heavy sleeper. A line of spit and blood came away with Ganondorf’s mouth when he lifted his lips from Link’s abdomen. Link’s cry of pain and pleasure slipped into a whimper, and Ganondorf felt his cock twitch. Fuck, but he was hard already. Link still needed a little persuasion, however, so the Gerudo licked his lips clean and coaxed the beltline down. Link chuckled at his enthusiasm; Ganondorf felt the laugh in his hands when he ran them down the sides of the Hylian’s thin torso. 

Ganondorf took the half-hard cock into his mouth, and he felt the heaviness of it against his tongue; the significance of the action. It always amazed him how far he could go with a young man who, if the Goddesses had gotten their way, would be his mortal enemy by now. It was almost surreal. 

Link’s pre-cum mixed with the iron remnants of his blood on Ganondorf’s tongue. It piqued the Gerudo’s desire, and he moved back up to the scarring. The hard front of his pants pressed against Link’s leg while he teased the marred area. He trailed his tongue over the drying beads of blood and tasted heroes and ages, the beast under Link’s skin, and a sleeping hunger for the fight that would draw taut and redden that thread of fate between them.

It was almost too much for Ganondorf. He pushed himself up and lifted Link’s ass. His hands brushed away grains of sand. They should have retreated to the tent for this, but too late now. He drew a finger across the puckered entrance and pushed it in.

Link’s eyes were half-closed in pleasure, but they shot open not long after the touch, and he stuttered out, _“T-Toftin.”_

Ganondorf’s hands pulled away, and with a groan he pushed himself back. That word. It was an agreed-upon signal between them; when spoken by one, it told the other to stop. 

Link sat up and looked to his right towards the tents. He looked behind him next, and then past Ganondorf. When he spoke, it was in a whisper. “I felt Ghirahim watching.”

Ganondorf didn’t feel anything, and he said so. Link’s lips pressed into a thin line until Ganondorf kissed them. “If he’s watching, should I give him a show?” he asked.

For a moment it appeared Link was going to refuse. But a slight gleam of mischievousness came to his eyes, and he poked Ganondorf’s bare chest. _“You_ give him a show?” He climbed up into the Gerudo’s folded lap. “Last I checked, I was the one running things.”

Ganondorf’s cock had softened a little in the tense interlude, but it perked back up at a brush of Link’s thigh. A flick of his fingers brought the chu jelly from the saddlebags into his hand. A slickened finger pushed into Link, and he braced a hand against Ganondorf’s shoulder with a gasp. 

“Are you all--”

“Don’t ask. I’ll tell you if I’m not okay.”

The authority in his voice made Ganondorf’s cock twitch with anticipation. He rubbed it and Link’s together while he stretched the Hylian out. A little more chu jelly eased Ganondorf in, and he forced himself to thrust slow and easy to reacquaint Link with the act. The fingers on his shoulder dug in, and Link closed his eyes with a hint of pain, but he didn’t speak the signal again.

Ganondorf grew bolder. His thrusts slowly heightened in their rhythm while his hand worked at Link’s cock, and his teeth left their deep mark in a pale shoulder. Goddesses, but he could fuck Link forever. The Hylian was a puzzle he wanted to solve. He wanted to work his way past the tense body and distant mind to the core of what made Link. How could the Hylian be so open and closed at the same time? 

But these thoughts were hidden under the pleasure of the moment. And what pleasure it was, driving into Link and feeling the pulse of his body; watching him fall into the rhythm of their joint movement; tasting his sweat and hearing the tremble in his hard breaths; breaths that eventually formed words like _harder_ or _faster_ as the pain tipped over into pleasure. 

Ganondorf came first with the scent of sex and Link’s blood deep in his nose. He called Link’s name, cursed, and kissed the Hylian’s sweaty hairline with murmured praise. His whole body thrummed in the aftermath. 

Link came in silence a half-minute later, encouraged by Ganondorf’s hand. He opened his eyes, unclenched his fingers from Ganondorf’s shoulder, and stared down at the white lines on the Gerudo’s stomach. “Was that okay?”

Ganondorf laughed. “Yes, of course.” He cupped Link’s cheek and kissed him on the lips this time.

Link closed his eyes and nodded. “Good. Can you…”

“Oh. Yeah.”

It was hard to break that connection. Link yanked his pants back up once it was done, swung his leg over Ganondorf’s lap, and sat down hard in the sand when he lost his balance. 

“You all right?”

“Fine. I’m fine.”

He was lying. Ganondorf watched Link’s arms cross to hug his chest. There was an almost shamed look to the act. “Link… You know you don’t have to have sex with me if you don’t want to.”

Link frowned at the sea. “If I didn’t want to, you would know.”

“I’m not talking about obligation--”

Link’s eyes snapped around to Ganondorf, and the Gerudo faltered. “Do you think that for a _single_ second I would allow you to touch me, let alone fuck me, if I didn’t want you to?”

“No,” Ganondorf answered. Link’s eyes returned to the sea. “It’s just… You were like this the first time. And whenever we do more than kiss, you’re not all there. It’s as if you dread the whole thing. I just want you to tell me if I’m doing something wrong next time, all right?” He added in a low voice, “If there is a next time.”

Link winced and cast a forlorn look at Ganondorf. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s not you. It’s me. I just can’t get my head into it some of the time.”

“Then why bother?”

“Because I want to make you happy. And…” Link dug at the sand. “I do like it, in a way. I like feeling you moving with me. That joint feeling that we’re one.” He blushed and stared down at the sand.

Ganondorf laughed a little. “Well, just don’t sacrifice your happiness for mine. And, listen. Next time I want you to raise the subject. Whether it’s a day from now or another year, you tell me when. In the meantime, I’ll be perfectly happy just seeing you wake up every morning.”

“Yeah so you can stare at my ass when I bathe,” Link countered, but with a smile.

“It’s a really cute one,” Ganondorf complimented.

Link chuckled and shifted down the beach. Ganondorf marked the wince in his face before it smoothed out when the incoming waves swept up over his legs. The Gerudo sighed and pushed himself onto his feet. “I’m turning in,” he announced, and Link nodded. “Don’t go swimming in the dark, all right?”

Link nodded again, but when he returned to the tent a half-hour later he brought with him a refreshed scent of saltwater, and his hair was wet when his head dropped onto Ganondorf’s chest. Ganondorf sighed and wrapped an arm around Link’s damp shoulders. They were already relaxed in sleep. The Gerudo prayed they would stay that way all night.

#

The _Jabu-Jabu_ was a fine ship, and its crew was a mix of Hylians and saltwater Zora. The Zora captain was named Mako, and he greeted Ganondorf like an old friend. He was equally pleased to meet Link and Ravio, but his warmth dried up when he saw the two horses waiting on the dock.

“You didn’t tell me you had to transport horses--” Mako began, but Ganondorf waved his concerns off. 

“I’ll take care of it,” the Gerudo assured the captain, and he cracked his knuckles. “It’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to flex my sorcery.”

“Do not hurt my horse,” Link warned. 

Ganondorf waved him off as well before pulling out a vial from a pocket. This was placed at his feet, and a magic circle glowed to life beneath it. Ganondorf fell to muttering with twitches and jerks of his hands. The horses voiced nervous whinnies and pressed close together. They reared when strands of glowing red light lashed out at them like whips. The light enveloped them, and within the strands the horses grew as thin and pale as smoke. With a final whinny and a kick of sharp hooves, they were swept into the vial, which shuddered once and corked itself.

Ganondorf picked up the vial and pocketed it once more. “They’re both fine,” he assured Link, who had grown pale. “They’ll not hunger or tire so long as they’re in there.”

Ravio grinned and exclaimed, “That was so cool!” 

Ganondorf broke into laughter at the boy’s enthusiasm, and with his hand on both Ravio’s and Link’s shoulders, they boarded the _Jabu-Jabu._

Link was sure a month within the confines of a sailing ship would be one of the worst experiences of his life. And indeed the first three days were tense ones. There was nowhere to go, little to do outside of work, and almost nothing to distract him. Additionally, he had to help Ravio get over his seasickness. Ganondorf procured a remedy from a crew member, and it worked after a day’s dosage, but Ravio was reluctant to linger on the deck for long. On the flip side, Link couldn’t even sleep belowdecks. The quarters were simply too small; the galley was laughably tight; and being packed into the boat with the rest of the crew grated on his nerves. 

One night, Link stumbled up the pitching steps on tired feet and came out onto a deck lit by moonlight. He found Captain Mako at the ship’s wheel, discussing something with another crew member. Mako greeted Link in the Zoran tongue--he had been delighted to learn the Hylian knew it--before he asked what was on Link’s mind.

“It’s this ship,” Link answered. “There’s no room to move, it feels like.”

“I understand,” Mako said with a nod of his head. “It was an adjustment for me as well when I first began to sail the sea. But adventure called to me, and here I am.” He looked up. “It’s too bad you don’t have wings like your bird.”

Link looked up as well and caught the glimmer of Kara’s eye in the moonlight. She was perched on the mast. Link traced the beams, ropes, and sails, admiring its construction. It was when his eyes landed on one thing in particular that he realized his answer was above him. The ship wasn’t just the belowdecks and deck. It had verticality to it.

That was how Ganondorf and Ravio woke up the next morning to find Link sleeping in the crow’s nest. The rest of the day was spent swinging from and climbing along the masts and shrouds as if he was a monkey. It put him in a good mood for the rest of the month-long trip, and the crew grew fond of his eagerness to keep lookout. His sharp eyes spotted land before anyone else did, and one morning he called out, “Hyrule ho!”

It wasn’t technically Hyrule--that started on the border of the Lost Woods a few miles away--but the crew was no less pleased to finally make proper berth, if only for a short while. They would be resupplying and taking on more goods before the final three day sail through dangerous big octo territory. 

Mako wished his passengers good luck as they disembarked, and they bid him the same. Link smiled when his feet touched down on solid ground, and Ravio giggled before he jumped the border between dock and dirt. The two of them gave Ganondorf room to restore the horses, and Link pulled out the gossip stone before calling Zelda’s name.

“Hey!” Zelda greeted, cheerfully. “It’s been a week since you last spoke to us.” Her tone was gently chiding. “How much longer until I get to complain to you in person?”

“How does tomorrow sound?” Link asked. 

Zelda’s answer was an enthusiastic cheer before she remembered herself. Link laughed and listened to her go on about how she was going to tell Impa and Nabooru, and have a big meal ready, and the best guest rooms, and so on.

“And of course I can’t wait to meet you, Ravio,” Zelda added with a smile in her voice, and Ravio beamed. 

“We have to go now,” Link said when Ganondorf came up behind him with the horses in tow. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow!” Zelda returned with enthusiasm, and the stone went dark.

Epona nuzzled Link to within an inch of his life while Ganondorf took Ravio with him to buy a few supplies for the last day’s journey. They returned with apples for the horses and one for Link as well--the Hylia variety. It tasted as divine as its name.

Ravio rode with Link, and Ganondorf led the way along the road to the checkpoint at the border of the Lost Woods. Approaching it, Link had a sudden, strange urge to pull on his Sheikan cloak to hide his face. Did he even have that cloak anymore? He imagined it was in one of his saddlebags; buried. He took in a deep breath and held it. Ravio felt the motion and looked up at him curiously.

But the soldier stationed at the checkpoint accepted the group’s toll with no more a glance than she would have spared any other travelers. Link released his held breath when the checkpoint was far behind them, and he turned his eyes onto the trees that pressed in on either side of the path.

“It’s one road all the way through,” Ganondorf reminded Link. “We should be clear close to sunset, and then we can camp in Hyrule Field for the night.”

Link felt a fluttering in his chest. Hyrule Field. They were nearly there. Already they were home; the Lost Woods were a part of Hyrule, after all. He shivered with delight, and Ravio smiled up at him. 

Ganondorf and Link had encountered only a few stalfos and a pack of wolfos when they traveled through the Lost Woods together the first and last time at the start of their journey. That had been at night. Now they traveled at day and came across only a few skullwalltulas that fled across the path in front of them. Link was glad for the low activity. He didn’t want Ravio’s first proper experience of Hyrule to be a frightening one.

They stopped a few times for a quick break or meal. The road was wide enough to allow them to sit aside in case other travelers were on it, but they never saw or heard anyone else. The road itself twisted and turned around hills, thick trees, and large rock formations; it had once been a game trail, long ago. It was the only road that cut through the confusing woods, so when Ravio spoke up later that evening his words stopped both Ganondorf and Link.

“I saw that tree earlier.”

Ganondorf and Link looked to the tree, but neither of them recognized it. “There are a lot of trees,” Link said to Ravio. “Chances are some of them will look similar.”

“But it’s the _same,”_ Ravio insisted. His claim was ignored, and the party continued their ride. 

An hour later the sunlight was more orange than yellow, and there was still no sign or sound of Hyrule. Link looked around him with a frown, and Ravio mimicked him before saying, “The tree again.”

Link followed his pointing finger, and indeed he saw the same twisted trunk on the edge of the road. He called for Ganondorf to stop. The Gerudo backtracked to Epona and studied the tree as well.

“Maybe it’s just the woods playing tricks on us,” Ganondorf eventually suggested. “I’ve heard stories that the trees can move in here--even speak, if they wanted. But the road itself is solid. It can’t deviate. We’ll be home soon.”

“I want to check,” Link said, and before Ganondorf could stop him he had slid out of his saddle and climbed the familiar tree. It was tall enough for him to look out across the woods, and he smiled with relief when he saw Hyrule Field was only a mile away. He could even see the half-hidden line the road cut through the trees ahead. He returned to the horses, told what he saw, and the party resumed their journey in a lighter mood.

But an hour later, they were still riding along the road. Ravio recognized the same tree for a third time, and Link climbed it a second time. He saw Hyrule Field, once more only a mile away. He relayed this to Ganondorf and Ravio in a trembling voice.

The sun was nearly spent, and under the trees it was already dark. Ganondorf had lit a lantern half an hour ago. The light looked pitifully weak within the shadowed woods. With the help of the lantern’s glow, Ganondorf looked back and forth along the road with a face of increasing puzzlement. 

“Should we go back to Sap Port?” Link suggested. 

“Maybe,” Ganondorf replied. “But not anymore tonight. Let’s set up camp, and we’ll see how things stand when we have light again.”

“You want us to camp here in the road?”

“We should be fine. We haven’t come across anyone else today. I doubt that will change.”

Ganondorf cast a few orbs of light to illuminate the area, and he helped Link set up their tent. Ravio refused to unpack his own. He didn’t want to sleep alone in the woods. He curled up between Link and Ganondorf once the camp was secured, and Ganondorf left one orb of light above the tent to comfort him until he was asleep. The light winked out when Ravio’s soft snores filled the tent, and darkness fell over the camp.

#

The sun returned in the morning, as normal, and Link rose with it. He extracted himself from both Ravio’s and Ganondorf’s limbs, stood up and stretched, and stepped out of the tent to a frightening sight. His scream woke up Ganondorf, and the Gerudo’s struggles to gain his feet and leave the tent in a hurry dragged Ravio out of sleep. Together, the three of them stared at the trees and underbrush that now surrounded the camp. 

“Where’s the road?” Ravio asked in a shaking voice. He tugged on Link’s tunic. _“Saio,_ where’s the road?”

Link shook himself out of his shock. “I’ll go see,” he replied, and he broke away to climb a tree. Ganondorf tracked his climb up and the eventual climb down. Link returned with a pale face and a trembling jaw.

“I… There’s no Hyrule Field. There isn’t even a road. It-It’s all trees. It’s all trees as far as I can see!”

The first hints of panic were coming into his voice and body. Ganondorf walked up to him and wrapped reassuring arms around his heaving chest. “Calm down,” he whispered. “You don’t want to let Ravio see you like this, _neh?”_ Link nodded against Ganondorf’s chest and worked to calm himself. “Let’s call on Princess Zelda. At the very least we need to let her know what’s happened, and she might be able to help us. Maybe this is a common occurrence in the Lost Woods.”

Link nodded again, and Ganondorf asked Ravio to bring the gossip stone. The boy did so in quiet diligence, patting the horses on their noses along the way. Kara chirped a hello to him from the top of Torrent’s head. The animals, at least, were calm. 

Ravio handed the gossip stone to Ganondorf, and the Gerudo blew on it. “Princess--” He stopped. The stone was still dark. 

“Let me see,” Link volunteered. He took the gossip stone next, but no matter what name he called or how he handled the stone, it remained dark and silent. Link handed off the stone to Ravio with a limp hand, and the boy fruitlessly repeated his _Saio’s_ efforts.

“Gan… What’s happened to us?” Link asked with a far-off look of fear in his eyes.

“I don’t know,” Ganondorf had to admit. “But I promise you I’ll figure it out, and I’ll get us out of here. Until then, it’s probably best if we don’t wander too far from camp. Whatever’s happened, it isn’t for our benefit.”

Link stiffened with a gasp. “Could it be Ghirahim?”

“If it is, he’s not alone,” Ganondorf answered. “Something like this would take an immense amount of power. I sensed that Ghirahim was strong, but he wasn’t _this_ strong.”

Link cursed in Sheikan, but became focused the next second. “I’ll check the perimeter and look for food. You do what you can to figure out what’s happening.”

“Got it,” Ganondorf said, nodding. “Ravio, you want to help me?”

Ravio nodded, and with their tasks set the three companions went about their work with grim, wary faces.

**#######**

**Translations:**

_Aethla:_ [Zoran] Fuck (as in a curse)

_Toftin:_ [Gerudian] Apple


	9. The House the Goddesses Built

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group seeks out a solution to their current predicament only to find uneasy answers and more questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I have officially run out of buffer chapters, but I don't want to keep all of you waiting for a new chapter just so I can get a couple of future chapters written ahead of time.
> 
> Please enjoy, thanks!

# Undertow

### Chapter Eight: The House the Goddesses Built

The trees pressed close to camp, but Ganondorf had enough room to clear out a circle of underbrush, leaving behind bare dirt. He traced an intricate magic circle into the dirt while Ravio collected water from a canteen and soot from the cold campfire. These were placed in bowls opposite each other on smaller circles at the north and south points of Ganondorf’s circle. An empty bowl and a bowl filled with more dirt were placed to the east and west. Link returned with a full bag on his shoulder in time to see Ganondorf sit down in the middle of the circle. 

Ganondorf told Ravio to back up, and the boy retreated to Link’s side. “This should tell me a lot about these woods,” Ganondorf said before he closed his eyes and dropped his hands to his folded knees. “It’s a powerful bit of sorcery, so stay back and don’t interfere.”

Link dropped a hand to Ravio’s shoulder and drew him back another step. 

Ganondorf sucked in a deep breath, held it, and released it. He repeated this several times, and the magic circle he had drawn lit up to wax and wane with the breaths. After half a dozen breaths, the circle stayed lit, and the bowls tossed up their contents in a sudden cyclone of elements. The circle blazed, the elements mixed and thickened, and Ganondorf sat in the midst of it all, breathing it in. The sound was like a storm; the surrounding trees creaked in their throes when the magic’s power passed over them. 

Ganondorf jerked as if punched in the gut, and the cyclone stuttered before resuming double-time. His eyes opened, and they burned yellow. He bared teeth with elongated incisors, and his hand dropped to bury fingers into the ground, which trembled.

Ravio felt Link’s hand tense on his shoulder. “Gan!” the Regn Hylian called in a commanding voice. 

Ganondorf turned his glowing eyes onto Link and Ravio. He grinned, and his lower incisors pushed up on either side of his lips like tusks. His braced hand thickened and grew sharp claws.

Link pushed Ravio back, ran to the saddlebags, and drew out his sword. He raised it towards Ganondorf, who had followed his movements with his glowing eyes. But at the sight of the sword, Ganondorf’s transformation faltered. His eyes ceased glowing, and he waved a hand in a curt gesture. The sound and wind of the cyclone died, and the elements fell to the ground. 

Link didn’t lower his sword until he saw Ganondorf was fully back in his own body. Together, he and Ravio walked to the Gerudo, and Link asked, “What the hell was that?”

Ganondorf shook dirt out of his hair and laughed without humor. “We’re in serious trouble here, my little fish. We’re stuck in these woods with no way out, and I think I know why.”

“Why?” Link pressed. Ravio stood close with his arms around Link’s thin waist.

“Because we have unfinished business,” Ganondorf answered. “We must either answer to our fate, or we’ll never escape.”

“Our fate…” Link trailed off when Ganondorf craned his head back, exposing his dark neck.

“You can kill me now and avoid a lot of hardship for yourself and Rav,” Ganondorf said. His throat bobbed with each word. “Either way, the Goddesses will get what they want.”

Link’s hand tightened around his sword’s grip, and he sunk it into the scabbard in his other hand. “As if I would make anything easy for them,” he spat. “What’s all this about, Gan? You’re saying the Goddesses stuck us here?”

Ganondorf dropped his head, but not without disappointment in his eyes. “That’s the feeling I got, _ja,_ and the only reason they would do that is if they wanted us to fight.”

Link scoffed. “Not gonna happen.” He held a hand out to Ganondorf, and the Gerudo took it with no hesitation. He stood up with Link’s help and brushed the dirt from his pants. “I found us some food and water. Let’s sit down and get some of it in us, and then we can work out a plan.”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” Ganondorf called after Link when the Regn Hylian turned away. “We can’t escape.”

“I heard you,” Link called back. “Did you hear what _I_ said? I’m not going to make anything easy for them.”

Ganondorf followed after Link and Ravio. “You can’t go up against the Goddesses, little fish,” he attempted to reason.

Link stopped and whirled around. “Watch me,” he snapped, and Ganondorf smiled. “What?”

“Nothing,” Ganondorf answered. “You just remind me of the first few times we met.”

Link blushed, and Ravio giggled. “Let’s go eat,” Link rushed out, and he led the way back to camp.

There was a grouse for Link and Ganondorf, and vegetables and beans for Ravio. Link told how he had set out east and come across the ruin of a house with a wide, overgrown garden in its yard; the origin of the vegetables and beans. The grouse had also been taken there, and a stream running through the property provided the water.

“Is the structure stable?” Ganondorf asked. “Maybe we could take shelter there until we figure out what to do.”

“I’d have to take a closer look at it,” Link replied before moving on to what else he had found. A wide field lay behind the house beyond a small orchard of apple trees, but every other direction had led Link back to camp.

“Why didn’t you grab us some apples?” Ganondorf teased around bites of food.

Link drew into himself a bit and answered, “They gave me a bad vibe.”

“Really?” Ganondorf said around a frown, and Link nodded. “I’ll check it out when we go there.”

Ravio wanted to go as well, and Ganondorf suggested they take everything with them in case the house was sound enough to sleep in. The tents were broken down, and the camp was packed up. The horses carried it all, and Link led everyone east through the woods. The house was only a mile away, he assured.

A quarter-hour later the group walked out of the woods into a sweeping yard. A gray-stoned house loomed over the property. It was two stories tall with a small wing on either side. A large, fenced-off garden sat to the left, and when they walked around the foundation they found a stable built into the back that was big enough for four horses. A small paddock surrounded it.

The aforementioned orchard lined the end of the backyard. The trees within it were twisted and of dark wood. Beyond their thin trunks, hints of a flat field could be seen. Link, Ganondorf, and Ravio approached the orchard and studied the apples hanging from the low boughs. They were red with a brush of green on their tops. They looked as delicious as any apple.

Ganondorf reached up to pick one, and he whistled for Torrent. The horse walked over and nuzzled his owner’s head, and Ganondorf held out the apple for him.

Torrent’s nuzzling stopped, and he turned his head away. Ganondorf moved the apple closer, and Torrent turned his head further from it. His black ears were flat, and his lower jaw was stiff.

“Odd,” Ganondorf remarked, and he drew the apple away. Torrent visibly relaxed. “I wonder…” Ganondorf tossed the apple up and caught it. His fingers squeezed, but the fruit was firm, and he raised it towards his mouth.

Ravio had never seen anyone move as fast as Link did when he drew an arrow from the quiver at his lower back. His bowstring twanged, and the apple was shot out of Ganondorf’s hand. It was carried with the arrow into the trunk of one of the apple trees.

_“Phyick!”_ Ganondorf raised fingers to his mouth. The arrow’s fletching had cut his lip, drawing blood. “What the hell was that for?” he rounded on Link.

Link’s answer was to point at the stuck arrow. Both Ganondorf and Ravio looked to see something seeping out around the apple impaled on it. It looked like juice, only it was thick and black.

“All right, we stay away from the apples,” Ganondorf snapped. He was still irritable over his lip, even after he healed it. “Let’s check out the house.”

Before they entered the house, Ganondorf walked up to it and placed a hand against the side. After a few seconds, he said, “It has two floors and a subfloor. I don’t feel any monsters inside.”

“For now,” Link mumbled to himself. “Let’s check it out,” he said in a louder voice. He took some time to belt on his sword, shield, and short blade alongside his quiver and bow, and grab a lantern. Ravio watched him with some fascination and fell in step alongside him when they opened the house’s front door and walked in.

Ganondorf lit the cold torches and chandelier with some Din’s Fire, and a wide foyer greeted them. At its middle, a hole was cut out of the floor. There were signs something had once moved up and down it, and Link guessed it was the way down to the basement floor. All around the edge of the foyer, staircases leading up to doors, and hallways ending in them, beckoned more exploration. Dusty furniture, still in decent shape, dotted the floor. 

Ganondorf looked all around. “We should split up--cover more ground faster. I don’t get a bad vibe from this place. Do you?”

“Not really,” Link remarked, although he felt something at the back of his mind; something like a memory he was trying to recall. He told Ganondorf of the feeling, and the Gerudo revealed he felt the same thing.

“Nothing to worry about for now,” Ganondorf brushed off. “Let’s investigate this place first. Rav, do you want to go with me or _Seio?”_

“Um… I’ll go with you this time!” Ravio decided, and he moved to Ganondorf’s side. Ganondorf nodded and coaxed a ball of Din’s Fire into his hands to serve as a lantern. Link lit his own lantern and headed off to the right. 

The house spoke of sudden abandonment. Everything from furniture to silverware still lay in rightful places. Faded pictures hung on the walls, ivy climbed the staircases, and spider webs were everywhere, but little else was worse for wear. Link found more rooms, including a trio of bedrooms with dusty beds covered in worn blankets, and a bathroom. His last stop was the kitchen where he didn’t find the moldy food he expected, which was odd until he remembered the surrounding woods. It may have been enchanted, but there were still scavenging animals. In fact, he found the bottom pane of the kitchen window broken in. He picked up the shattered glass, tossed it into a dented bin, and left the kitchen to see if Ganondorf and Ravio were back in the foyer.

They were, and at the sight of Link Ravio ran up to him waving his arm around. “Look what _Faedra_ found for me!”

It was a bracelet made of stone. It looked aged, and was simple in design with what appeared to be an empty eye carved into it, but nothing else. 

“Now I have one like you!” Ravio said, and he pressed his wrist against the leather bracelet on Link’s wrist; its bells jangled. 

“I’ve seen eyes like that before,” Link said, “in Sheikah ruins that I’ve explored.”

Ganondorf stepped closer. “Is that what this place is?”

Link shook his head. “Nothing else suggests it belonged to the Sheikah. It looks more like an old house that was abandoned. I found a kitchen and some bedrooms. It’s as if the owners just up and left.”

“Maybe something spooked them,” Ganondorf suggested, and everyone’s face suggested they were thinking back on the orchard behind the house. “In any case,” Ganondorf picked up, “it seems sound, right? I say we stay.”

“You’re right--it seems all right,” Link agreed. “It could use a good dusting, though.”

“Leave that to me,” Ganondorf volunteered, and he rolled up his sleeves with an eager smile. “Link, you get the horses settled, and Ravio you help him bring in our stuff. We’ll have ourselves a decent place to stay in just a short while.”

With the tasks divided, it took less than an hour before the house was in acceptable shape. Ganondorf used his magic to blow away the dust and spider webs, but he kept the ivy because “it’s not hurting anybody.” Bugs were cleared out, and what needed to be repaired or mended, was. He got the kitchen and bedrooms in order first to allow Link and Ravio to settle the food and belongings, but the stable needed no work. 

With everything finished, they rejoined in the kitchen; all of the other rooms felt too large for a discussion. Link started things off, but not on a bright note. “We have to assume that the Goddesses--if it is them--want us to be here.”

“The thought has crossed my mind,” Ganondorf said with a troubled frown. “That orchard… I wonder if it has something to do with all this, or if it’s just a freak mutation.”

“We just need to avoid it, that’s all,” Link said, and his companions agreed. “So you said they want us to fight? Why would that be?”

“You know why,” Ganondorf replied. “You’re the hero, and I’m the great big, bad evil. One of us has to go down to keep the faith alive, and allow Hyrule to prosper. I told you this.”

Link remembered the story, told not long into his and Ganondorf’s journey. The story of the hero and the evil king. A story that repeated itself through the generations to keep the faith of Hyrule’s people alive, and thus their Goddesses. Most of the time the hero won, but occasionally the evil king had killed him or gone on unchallenged. That provided a boost in faith of its own when the people turned to their Goddesses for help.

But the story only repeated if Hyrule was in danger, and Link said this before adding, “I talked to Zelda. There’s no war or anything else wrong with Hyrule. So why would the faith have to be restored?”

“Because we didn’t do it the first time,” Ganondorf explained. “Remember: We would have gone up against each other or worked together if my mothers had their way those years ago. Maybe that was the Goddesses’ intentions. Maybe the clock is winding down from Hyrule, and my defeat or our conquering of it was meant to be the crank that winds it back up.”

“No Hyrule means no land of the gods,” Link murmured. “No faith to keep those gods going, which means no Hyrule…”

Ganondorf nodded. “It’s one big circle.”

“And we’re of the blood, so it has to be us. _Drida.”_ Link dropped his face into his braced hands. 

_“Drida,”_ Ravio repeated. Link didn’t bother to scold him.

“What do you want to do?” Ganondorf asked. 

Link sighed and lifted his head to look out the busted window. “I want to go home.” He rubbed his eyes with a palm. “Let’s just forget all that for now. We can talk more tomorrow, but not anymore today. Please.”

Ganondorf nodded. “Sure,” he answered, and the subject was dropped. 

They spent the rest of the day exploring what each of them hadn’t seen in their first walkthrough of the silent house, followed by gathering food from the garden and woods for breakfast the next morning. When the sun had set, they climbed the stairs to the bedrooms. Ganondorf let Ravio have first pick.

“Um…” Ravio looked between the three doors. “I’ll take the middle one!” He opened the middle door and ran inside to jump onto the bed. Link followed him, and he tucked Ravio in and told him a short story. The boy fell asleep to it.

Ganondorf was in bed as well with limbs spread and eyes closed in bliss. “You have your own bedroom,” he pointed out when he felt the bed dip with Link’s weight.

“There is a third bedroom, this is true,” Link agreed. He lay down beside Ganondorf and dropped his head against the Gerudo’s arm. 

“Are you saying you actually prefer my company, little fish?”

“I’m saying I could have picked up a second tent anytime before Ravio joined us, _sant bregeta._ But I didn’t.”

Ganondorf smirked. “Even a would-be hero of Hyrule can’t resist me.”

“How it goes is, a once-king would do anything for me.”

“Oh, is that how it is?” Ganondorf said with a laugh. He dropped his hand to cover Link’s smirk. “Go to bed.”

Link did, and in an hour he was asleep. Ganondorf still lay awake, listening to the house. He found it peculiar, for it didn’t creak or settle like a normal house would. There were no branches scratching against the windows, and nothing nocturnal pattered about on the roof. The silence was eerie, but not as eerie as Link when he sat up in bed without a sound.

“Nightmares again?” Ganondorf asked, automatically. Link didn’t answer him. “Little fish?”

Link swung out of bed and padded out of the room. Ganondorf followed him at once, and Link led him down the stairs and into the foyer. There, the Hylian paused to glance down at the hole in the floor; they hadn’t yet explored the subbasement. But it was only for a moment before he was moving again. He opened the front door and walked outside. Ganondorf caught it before it swung shut, and he walked out.

Link took a right and headed straight for the orchard behind the house. Ganondorf coaxed a ball of Din’s Fire and continued to follow him. The Hylian showed no qualms about walking into the twisted orchard despite the dark and what they had seen earlier in the day. Concerned but confident, Ganondorf followed him. His ball of fire guided his way, but Link needed no light as he followed an alley between the trees. 

At the seventh and last line of trees, Link stopped and crouched by a trunk. He stared at the field with unblinking eyes, and he failed to notice Ganondorf when the Gerudo knelt beside him. They sat together for a few minutes with Ganondorf watching Link’s closed face. He tried shaking Link, and talking to him, but the Hylian was as stiff and silent as stone.

A change came after five minutes of stillness. Link blinked and leaned forward on both hands as if he was about to break into a sprint. Ganondorf looked away from him to the field, and he saw a freestanding door standing not twenty feet away. It gave him a start, and his breath caught in his throat.

_Someone sent that Ghirahim guy after me… Someone knew I would be drawn to the door._

No. That would mean the Goddesses…

Link straightened up and walked on stiff legs towards the door. Ganondorf stood up and followed him. He was torn between taking Link away from here, and watching to see what happened. He kept his hands loose to either grab Link or fire off some sorcery--whatever was necessary.

Neither was needed. Link reached out and trailed his fingers over the Triforce crest carved in the door. The seam split it down the middle, but never parted. Link took a step back and dropped his hand. There was disappointment in his stance. He turned around and left the field the way he came.

Ganondorf was sure Link was returning to the house, so he took the time to study the door. He expected it to vanish as soon as he drew near, but it remained solid. His fingers trailed over it much like Link’s had, and he studied the Ancient Hylian around the crest. Something in the back of his mind, in memories that weren’t his own, rang out.

“You’re the Door of Time,” Ganondorf murmured. 

As if it had been waiting for this confirmation, the door vanished in a shimmer of white light. Ganondorf blinked afterimages away and looked down. No indentation in the grass showed where the door had once stood. There was no trace of magic in the air either. Ganondorf frowned at the empty field before turning back towards the orchard. 

Link was splayed out across his and Ganondorf’s bed, asleep, so Ganondorf took the remaining empty bedroom where he whiled away the night deep in thought. Link found him in the morning before Ravio woke up. A small knock preceded his entrance, and he entered the bedroom with a troubled look. Ganondorf sat up, and Link took a seat on the bed’s edge.

“My feet were dirty when I woke up this morning,” Link began after a short silence. “Did I sleepwalk last night?”

“Yes,” Ganondorf answered. 

“Where did I go?”

“To the field in the back.”

There was something in Ganondorf’s voice that put Link on edge. He turned around in his seat and folded a leg atop the bed. “What happened?”

Ganondorf swallowed. “I saw the door. I know what it is.”

“You saw--” Link cut himself off to smile a little. “Here I thought I had been seeing things, like you said. Oh, so--what is it? The door?”

Ganondorf made to answer, but at that moment Ravio walked into the room. He was already dressed in his costume, and he headed straight for Link to crawl into the Regn Hylian’s lap. A sniffle came from under his hood. 

“What’s wrong?” Link asked. Ravio buried his nose into Link’s chest. “Come on, tell me what’s wrong.”

Ravio turned his head to the side and answered in a dull voice, “I had a bad dream.”

“Oh, I see.” Link rubbed Ravio’s arm. “They’re only dreams, Rav. I have bad dreams all the time.”

“About what?” Ravio asked.

“About… About what happened to my tribe, and the people I’ve hurt.”

Ravio shook his head. “My dream wasn’t like that. It was about you and _Faedra._ The two of you were fighting, and I was watching. Then this tall, scary man was there. He was all pale like a poe, and he had a black sword.”

“Ghirahim?” Link said in whisper, and his hands tightened around Ravio.

Ganondorf cleared his throat, and both Link and Ravio looked to him. “I have an idea. Stay right here--I just need to grab something.”

He was gone for only a minute, and he returned with a thin book, a quill, and an inkpot in his hands. “Look what I have for you,” Ganondorf said. He knelt down in front of Link and put the items in Ravio’s lap. “It’s a journal. You can use it to write about your day and your dreams. This way, they don’t seem as scary because you’re trapping them in words. That’s one of the oldest bits of sorcery, you know, trapping things with words.”

Link stiffened, and Ganondorf shot him a look of apology, but Ravio was all smiles. He took the journal into hand and thanked Ganondorf for the suggestion. But his face fell the next second, and he admitted in a quiet voice, “I don’t know how to read or write.”

“We’ll teach you,” Link spoke up. “We’re not going anywhere for a while after all. We’ll start our first lesson after breakfast, so why don’t you run downstairs and figure out what you want to eat.”

“Okay!” Ravio hopped off of Link’s lap and ran out of the room with his gifts in-hand. 

Ganondorf listened to the footsteps hurry down the stairs. When they had faded, he moved up the bed beside Link. “The Door of Time,” he said in a quiet voice. “That’s what that door is.”

“What is it, exactly?” Link asked.

“It’s a door that can only be opened under certain circumstances,” Ganondorf explained. “Once, it was opened by the Ocarina of Time--a precious relic of the Royal Family that has, ironically enough, been lost to time. It has also been opened by guardians.”

“And what lies beyond it?”

“Usually? The Master Sword. You’ve heard of that, I’m sure.”

“The blade of evil’s bane,” Link whispered. “Impa told me stories.” He looked sidelong at Ganondorf. 

“Yeah,” Ganondorf said as if he could read Link’s thoughts. He was glad Link couldn’t read his. He was thinking on Ghirahim--on the way the demonic man had attacked Link at the Door of Time, and on the assumption he had played with last night that Ghirahim was working for the Goddesses. If that was the case, he shouldn’t have attacked Link… Unless…

_Unless it doesn’t matter how one of us dies. So long as one of us goes down in some way--_

“Ghirahim is working for the Goddesses, isn’t he?” Link asked aloud, interrupting Ganondorf’s thoughts.

Ganondorf cleared his throat and said in a steady voice, “Hard to say.” 

But Link had learned to tell when Ganondorf was lying, and he flashed a narrow-eyed look at the Gerudo. Whatever else was on the Hylian’s mind stayed there, and Link pushed off of the bed to leave the room.

After breakfast came an hour where both Link and Ganondorf tutored Ravio on his alphabet. The boy showed as much eagerness in the exercise as he had learning Sheikan words, but his restlessness got the better of him, and his attention diverted more and more to the windows that offered a view of the sweeping lawn.

“All right, all right,” Ganondorf spoke up when Ravio failed to hear the third call to focus. “Let’s take a break, huh?”

“Yeah!” Ravio agreed with enthusiasm. He pulled up his hood and ran outside. Link and Ganondorf followed at a slower pace. Ravio was already rolling on the ground as if it was his favorite thing to do. Ganondorf broke away from Link to run at the boy and pretend to tackle him. Link left them to their roughhousing in order to circle around the house and check up on the horses. He let them out in the paddock and marked with an uneasy stomach how they avoided the side closest to the orchard. 

_“Saio!”_ came Ravio’s call some minutes later, and Link followed it to the front of the house. Ravio squealed; Ganondorf was toting him around on his shoulder like a sack of flour. _“Saio,_ help!” Ravio called around his laughter.

Link cleared his throat and dropped his hands to his hips. “Oy, _sant bregeta._ You let go of my _lytel rabeta,_ or I’ll make you.”

“Oh please do!” Ganondorf called, and Link huffed. “All right, all right. I’ll let him go. He’s a little too stringy for dinner anyway.”

Ravio gave Ganondorf a light smack on the head; something he had picked up from Link. Ganondorf laughed and dropped him to his feet, only to lunge as if to grab him again. Ravio laughed and scampered out of reach. His feet carried him into a ring of mushrooms, and he stopped in the middle of it with a smile on his flushed face. _“Nyah!”_ He stuck his tongue out at Ganondorf.

_“Ravio!”_ Link nearly screamed, and the boy looked to him in alarm. Link began to approach him with his hands up in a gesture of caution. “Ravio, don’t move.”

“Link, what is it?” Ganondorf called. 

_“Saio?”_ Ravio questioned. He took a step forward and stopped. The ground felt a little springy under his feet. He stared down at it in confusion and pressed down on his foot. The ground caved a little beneath the pressure and sprung back up when he relaxed.

Link stopped at the ring of mushrooms and held out a hand towards Ravio. The boy grasped it and held tight. “On the count of three. One, two, three--”

Link yanked Ravio off of the ground and whipped him around to the outside of the ring. He had to take a step back under the boy’s swinging weight, and the rotted boards under the grass caved beneath his heavier step. He sunk into the ground with a yell, taking with him broken wood and a layer of dirt. 

_“Link!”_ Ganondorf rushed to where Ravio stood, staring at the hole, which revealed a round, stone-lined chute that sank into darkness. “Link!” Ganondorf shouted again, this time directly into the hole.

“I’m okay!” came Link’s echoing answer. Ravio sounded a cry of joy and knelt down by the hole’s lip. Ganondorf put a hand on the back of his shirt in case the ground gave way. “It’s a well!” Link called up. “Lots of water down here. I think there’s a break in the wall, though. Feels big. There’s a strong current.”

“Hold still!” Ganondorf called back. “I’ll get you out of there.” He took two steps back and raised his arms in preparation to cast sorcery. 

“Hang on, I want to see where this goes!”

“What?” Ganondorf dropped his arms and returned to the well’s lip. “Don’t you dare--Link! _Link!”_

Link couldn’t hear Ganondorf anymore. He was ten feet under the water, following the tug of the current. He passed through a hole in the well’s wall and felt stone brush his hips; a loose brick was dislodged with a muted clatter. Darkness overtook the small amount of light filtering down the well, and only Link’s hands guided him through a narrow tunnel. After four minutes, he felt the tunnel’s walls pull away. He was in a much wider area now, and the current’s strength was lost in its vastness. Link was left to swim on his own power into the dark water. 

Here, Link felt his first inkling of fear. He had perhaps seven minutes left of air if he didn’t exert himself, but there was no clear exit anywhere. In fact, he had already lost his sense of direction in the darkness. Perhaps if he felt for the current and followed it backwards… But would he have enough time and strength to fight it all the way back to the well?

A dull sound drew Link’s attention. It sounded like something had dropped into the water. In the darkness a light flared, revealing a hulking shadow. A strong hand grabbed Link’s upper arm, and magic flared beneath him as a burst of bubbles and flames. The dark water fell away, and the magic’s light revealed Link was rising up a narrow vertical tunnel in Ganondorf’s wake. They emerged into the foyer of the house; they had come up through the hole in the floor. 

Link dropped to his rear on the floor and released the breath he was still holding. The last of it was squeezed out when Ravio hugged him forcefully. Link shook his wet bangs out of his eyes and patted the boy’s shoulder. “I’m okay.”

“Don’t you _dare_ do something like that again!” Ganondorf nearly shouted. Link jerked with surprise and looked up at him. Magic still crackled up and down the Gerudo’s arm, and his face was set into a glower. “We’re in a place like this, and you go and pull a stupid act like that?”

“I wasn’t in danger--” Link began.

“Bullboshit!” Ganondorf snapped. “We’ve been in danger since the first time we stepped onto this property. We stick together, you understand?”

Ravio laid his cheek on Link’s shoulder. _“Faedra_ is right. We have to stay together.”

“I know,” Link said in a defeated voice. “I’m sorry for worrying the two of you. How did you know I would be there?”

Ganondorf ignored the question; he was too busy shaking the magic out of his arm. It was Ravio who straightened up and answered, _“Faedra_ did a cool magic trick that led him to the hole! Then he jumped in to save you!”

“Well, thank you,” Link said to Ganondorf. The Gerudo answered with a nod. The magic was gone from his arm. “The whole basement is flooded,” Link went on to say. “Seems odd, don’t you think? Especially if the Goddesses really did make this place? I wonder if it’s hiding something--”

“You won’t be finding out!” Ganondorf snapped. “We stay aboveground, end of discussion. And I’m sealing off that well so that we don’t have any more accidents. _Undesta?”_

Irritation came into Link’s face, and he said, “Gan, we could be sitting on top of all our answers and you’re just going to ignore it?” 

“Yes, because we don’t need answers,” Ganondorf replied. “Answers lead to more questions, and we have too many of those.”

“But we would have less with more answers!” Link returned, hotly. 

Magic sparked up Ganondorf’s arm when he raised his hand. Link flinched and shrunk back, but the Gerudo only raised a finger before running the hand through his hair. “I need to go meditate,” he nearly grumbled, and he turned and walked away.

**#######**

**Translations**

_Drida:_ This is ‘dirt’ in Sheikan, but in the context of a curse it takes on a meaning similar to ‘shit.’


	10. Cut Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trouble comes to the group in all matter of forms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a full chapter, and it does not end on a high note. Warning you now.
> 
> Please enjoy, thanks.

# Undertow

### Chapter Nine: Cut Off

During their initial search of the house Ganondorf and Ravio had come across two courtyards nestled at the property’s center, divided by the structure itself. There were wells in them as well, built up from the ground, but they were dry and full of dead brambles. Parts of the walls that surrounded the courtyard were broken, exposing hallways and rooms two stories up. The stream that ran through the property also cut across the courtyards, and bridges straddled it. 

Ganondorf made his way to one of the courtyards, crossed the bridge there, and took a seat in the middle of a crumbling structure that may have once been a shrine. Now only columns remained, and he counted them from left to right before he took off his prayer necklace and clasped the medallion on it in hand. “Serhanaka, please grant me some of your patience and strength.” He began to mark off each bead under his breath, twisting them as he did, until he had circled the necklace and returned to the sand goddess. He closed his eyes and took slow, deep breaths until he was in a state of peace.

Ten minutes into his meditation, Ganondorf heard a door creak open and footsteps brush through the long grass. A small body curled up beside him, and he opened his eyes to look down at Ravio’s raven hair. “What’s up, kid?”

“I don’t like it when you and _Saio_ fight,” Ravio said with his eyes on the stream.

“Me neither,” Ganondorf assured him. “That’s why I’m out here, meditating.”

_“Saio_ should meditate, too.”

“I agree.”

“I’ll go get him!”

“No, Ravio--” 

It was too late. The boy was on his feet and across the bridge as quick as a bunny. Ganondorf sagged in his seat, but didn’t call out or follow. He was nothing against Ravio’s innocence--and apparently so was Link. The Regn Hylian arrived in Ravio’s wake a minute later, still damp from his impromptu swim. He didn’t hesitate when he saw Ganondorf, and he meekly sat down opposite the Gerudo when Ravio told him to do so.

_“Faedra_ says we should meditate,” Ravio explained to Link. “That way we don’t fight.”

Link had no sharp remarks or glares for Ravio, but he spared Ganondorf a look of strained patience with a glance at the medallion in the Gerudo’s hand.

Ganondorf sighed. They may as well try. “You don’t have to pray,” he said. “Just go deep inside yourself and find an inner calm. Let it rise up and encase you.”

“Impa taught me,” Link spoke up. “When I was younger and more… difficult.” A ghost of a smile cracked his lips. “I know what to do. I just don’t like the feeling.”

“Why not?” Ganondorf asked.

“It feels like a hand is digging deep inside me,” Link explained. “Stirring stuff up and dragging it out… I feel like what makes me, me could get lost if I go on long enough.”

Ganondorf nodded. “For people like you and me, who have so many past lives and ties to destiny, it can be overwhelming. But finding that balance within all the turmoil of memory and self is crucial if you want to live a full, peaceful life.”

Link snorted a laugh, and some of Ganondorf’s earlier anger flashed across his face. Seeing it, the Regn Hylian ducked his head and dropped his hands onto his folded knees. “All right, I’ll try it. But don’t get mad if I can’t do it.”

“I won’t,” Ganondorf promised, and he ruffled Link’s hair. Link shoved the hand away, and Ravio giggled. Silence fell shortly after when all three closed their eyes and focused inward.

“Maybe we should have gotten some odd mushroom,” Link said in the quiet. Ganondorf shushed him, and Link fell silent for good.

It was eerily quiet in the courtyard. Link could hear Kara on the roof of the house, chirping and talking to herself. Distantly, the horses neighed in the paddock. But no other sound of life came. Link took in a deep breath and held it in his chest. He loved that sensation of pressure in his lungs; that feeling of literally holding his life within him, free to keep it inside for as long as he dared. 

Link’s shoulders slackened, and his chin dropped. The pressure of the trapped breath within him spread through his chest, up his neck, and into his head. His thoughts pulled back as he dropped all concentration to focus on optimizing the time he could hold the air in his lungs. Blackness fell into place when the memories and worries went away. It dragged behind it other memories that were not his own. Link’s head jerked up and back, but it was too late to pull away. The curiosity that had driven him into every ruin he had come across now goaded him into opening his eyes onto a house that stirred with monsters and phantoms. 

There was a young man here, a few years younger than Link. His eyes spoke of an even greater youth trapped within the adult body. Each look around was filled with child-like innocence--and child-like fear. An air of uneasiness shadowed the young man as well as his fairy did. He kept his sword and shield in nervous grips, and the arrows he sent after poes missed more often than not, to the monsters’ amusement.

Link followed the young man through the familiar house, and each time his profile flashed in the fairy’s light Link recognized something in it. It was only minutes later that he saw the aged man in the dark forest; the man he had visited during his Gerudian initiation. From what Link had seen in the older lined face, there were many trials and one missing eye ahead of this young man.

The fairy jerked and cried, “Look out!” In response, her companion spun around and, seeing a poe, raised his bow and an arrow.

The stance and draw was wrong. Link moved forward, knowing he could do nothing but wanting to try anyway. He recalled teaching the Gerudo how to shoot their bows and, more recently, showing Ravio the basics. His hands reached out and made as if to adjust the young man’s arms and body. His fingers were no more corporeal than the poe, but to his amazement the young man’s body responded to them. The arrow flew true from the bowstring, and the poe was knocked back from the blow.

But she was persistent. She vanished and reappeared to the young man’s left. The fairy once more cried out a warning, and her companion spun to face the returned threat. His body remembered the proper motions, and the poe was vanquished.

Link smiled at the victory. The young man was equally pleased. His fairy bobbed in the air, and together they made for a door on the other side of the room. But before he reached it, the young man dropped to his knees, and the house around him vanished into darkness. Link approached him to see his body shrinking into that of a child. A sob left the boy, and it warped into a scream.

Something was happening. The child’s slight body was bulging and twisting. It was becoming man-sized again, but larger than the adult body it had left. Link backed away, but there was nowhere to go. He searched the darkness, but there was no one else to help.

A tortured face whipped up, and a roar of pain cut through the dark. Wide eyes clouded over, and a helix sword provided support for its wielder to gain his feet--but not without a struggle. Labored breaths scratched at the dark.

Link stared at the back of the cuirass and willed the Fierce Deity to stay as he was. If he turned around… If those blind, rage-filled eyes fell on Link…

But to stay facing forward only meant the dream would arrive, and indeed the first flickers of fire could be seen in the dark. The wall of flames rose up with crackles and roars, and silhouetted against them, opposite the Fierce Deity, was another familiar shadow. 

No sooner were Ganondorf’s features solidified did the Fierce Deity charge, full of blind rage. The helix sword glowed with magical energy that cut through the darkness. But his ire was his downfall. Ganondorf moved past the blunt attacks and brushed his opponent aside with a glowing hand. The Fierce Deity was downed, and Ganondorf advanced on Link as he had so often in the Hylian’s dreams. 

But the Fierce Deity was a new element in this dream, and he wasn’t fond of being forgotten. Link felt Ganondorf’s fingers fall on his neck, then felt them jerk away when the helix sword punched through the Gerudo’s gut and twisted. The point stopped an inch from Link’s nose, dripping gore. The heavy smell of blood filled his nose. Rusl had taught him scent was the closest thing tied to memory, and now a flood of them rushed Link. He staggered in their wake, and the dream ripped apart.

But the Fierce Deity remained. His shadow darkened Link when he stood over the Hylian, who had dropped to his knees. Instead of darkness, there was now blinding light. Link dug at his cheeks as he reeled from the memories in his mind. He watched children and young men like himself slay evil again and again; evil that all wore the same familiar face. He screamed in denial of what they were telling him.

_“Bradamt gerad balla eow!”_

A sharp slap struck Link’s cheek. His eyes snapped open onto the sky above the courtyard, and he released the aching breath in his chest before sucking in a fresh one at once. It came out in a series of coughs, and he rolled over to direct them at the grass. His chest and throat were sore, and his head was swimming. He heaved, but nothing came up.

“Are you trying to _pliste_ me off today?” Ganondorf snapped. “What the hell were you doing, not breathing?”

Link coughed once more and sat up. Ravio stared at him with watery eyes, and Ganondorf was on his knees not far away. “I went deep like you said I should,” Link explained in a strained voice. “I guess something stuck.”

“And what was that?”

“Nothing, nothing. It was nothing.”

_“Leogre.”_

“I said it was nothing.” 

“Don’t snap at me!”

“Well then don’t call me a liar!”

“Stop!” Ravio yelled, but Ganondorf reached out for Link, and the Regn Hylian swiped at the hand. It wrapped around his throat no less, and it lifted him up to slam him against one of the columns. Ravio screamed.

Link hung in Ganondorf’s grip with a reddening face and clouding eyes. Something was shifting under his clothes, straining the fabric. 

Ganondorf saw the changes, and he dropped his eyes. He still had the medallion in his other hand. He traced its shape now and muttered under his breath, _“Ict sawo oftan eowt. Ict sawo oftan eowt. Ict sawo oftan eowt…”_

The hand loosened, and Link slid down the column to solid ground. Ganondorf’s grip had left his neck red, but the rest of him was back to normal. Ganondorf, too, had a handle on himself once more. He raised his head and opened his mouth in an apology, but it died when Link turned around and fled the courtyard.

Ravio jumped at the sound of the door slamming shut. Carefully, he made his way to Ganondorf’s side and slipped his smaller hand into the Gerudo’s larger, empty one. It was still warm from being around Link’s neck. “Why are you fighting all the time now?”

“I don’t know,” Ganondorf answered in a whisper. His eyes were on the door.

Ravio dug at the ground with a bare foot. “I don’t like this place anymore. When can we leave?”

“I don’t know,” Ganondorf repeated. “Come on, let’s go back inside. We’ll try some meditation later.”

“Okay,” Ravio agreed. He allowed Ganondorf to pick him up and carry him back into the house, but they didn’t find Link inside. Nor did they see him the rest of the day. Ganondorf wasn’t worried, but Ravio was, so the Gerudo distracted him with another reading lesson and meals that required the boy’s help to prepare. After a long bedtime story about the seafaring Gerudo of old, Ganondorf tucked Ravio into bed and set out to search for Link.

He used the same sort of spell he had crafted earlier in the day to track Link through the underground, flooded tunnel. This time, the magic led Ganondorf into the house’s attic. In a dark corner, by a window that let in a sliver of moonlight, he found Link curled up in sleep. He looked so still, Ganondorf thought for a wild moment that he was dead. He dropped down by Link’s side, and the sound of his knees hitting the bare wooden floor jerked Link out of his sleep.

Link sat up and rubbed crust from his eyes. He wouldn’t meet Ganondorf’s eyes. “I tried to leave, but no sooner did I step into the woods did it turn me back around to the house. I couldn’t even go back to our old campsite.” He closed his eyes against fresh tears. “I don’t want to kill you, Gan.”

“No one’s killing anyone,” Ganondorf assured him.

“We don’t have a choice!” Link cried. “We’re stuck here until it happens!”

“Then we’ll grow old together in this house,” Ganondorf continued. “And only when one of us dies from old age will the Goddesses get what they want.”

“Don’t pretend to know what’s going to happen.”

Ganondorf raised a hand to his forehead and rubbed the frown lines there. “You’re right--I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he admitted. “But I can tell you one thing for sure: If we continue to fight, what we dread most is going to happen even faster. You realize that much, I hope?”

Link nodded. “Yeah.” 

“So let’s do our best to stay on each other’s good side,” Ganondorf said. 

Link nodded again, and when Ganondorf said they should leave the attic, the Hylian agreed. Ganondorf suggested a bath for Link to ease his stress, so he filled the tub with some sorcery; drawing the water from beneath the house and warming it. Link undressed while Ganondorf filled the tub. When the Hylian pulled off his dusty tunic, Ganondorf expected to see the Fierce Deity’s muscles beneath it. Instead it was Link’s narrower but still well-defined back, pockmarked by scars. 

“I sort of miss it sometimes,” Ganondorf remarked, and Link looked back over his shoulder. “The _tatau._ It looked nice against your back.”

Link chuckled and turned his head front again, but not without a wince. His neck was dark with bruising. The coloration disappeared under Ganondorf’s lips later that evening when he kissed the warm skin and tasted the lingering hints of soap and stress. Link gave no cues to take the attention further, but that was normal, and Ganondorf longed for normalcy after the tense day. After a final kiss, he rolled over and turned the lamp down. 

Falling asleep was easier this time for Link. The warm bath had indeed relaxed all of his muscles, and his mind fell eagerly back into its earlier dreams and memories. After two hours of strange but familiar locations and vanquishing evil over and over, Link jerked awake with a gasp. Ganondorf snored beside him, safe and whole. Link traced the dragons on his back, and the solidity of him helped the Hylian to drop back into a sounder sleep.

#

This was a dream Ganondorf had hoped to never have again.

How long had it been? Years. Not since Link was imprisoned had the massive fountain appeared in the Gerudo’s sleeping mind. The three Goddesses still rose up at the center, only now their marble faces and arms were cracked. Ganondorf felt the cold stone lip under his bare feet, and he shivered with a chill.

Opposite him, on the far side of the vast fountain, Link stood staring down at the drain on the bottom. It was coated with a dry, red crust. It looked like rust, but Ganondorf had a sinking feeling it wasn’t as benign as that; not if the pink tint to the inside of the bowl was any indication.

Ganondorf jerked awake before Link could make a move in his dream. In the realer bedroom, Link sat up and padded out of the room on bare feet. As before the Gerudo followed, and as before Link led him to the field behind the orchard. The Door of Time appeared after five minutes in the blink of an eye. Link was on his feet seconds later, and this time Ganondorf stayed by his side as he examined the door.

Something new had appeared in the door. It was a keyhole--and a large one at that. Link bowed over once to look through it, and Ganondorf mimicked him. There was only darkness within it. After this discovery, Link left the field, once more limp with disappointment. Ganondorf lingered to watch the door vanish, which it did in another blink. In its place a tall, pale man appeared in flashes of diamond light.

“You!” Ganondorf made to swipe at Ghirahim’s neck, and the man vanished in another flash of light. He reappeared ten feet away on his knees with his hands held up, clasped together, in a plea for mercy.

“Master, I know you are not your normal self--”

_“I’m_ the one who isn’t normal?” Ganondorf cut in. This time Ghirahim allowed his hand to fall around the pale neck. “You butchered Link, you monster!”

“Master… Master Demise…” Ghirahim struggled to speak beneath Ganondorf’s tightening grip. 

“That isn’t my name,” Ganondorf growled. 

“It was once!” Ghirahim eked out. “The Goddesses told me you didn’t remember anything, but I never thought--”

“I remember plenty,” Ganondorf corrected. “So you _are_ working for them. I thought as much. It seems fitting for a backstabbing worm like you to squirm under another’s foot.”

“Only…” Ghirahim winced. “Only if it’s your foot, Master.” He managed a smile. “I don’t enjoy being employed by these pompous Goddesses. But they promised me a chance to bring you back. Master, you enjoy this, don’t you?” Ghirahim’s thin hands patted Ganondorf’s clutching hand. “You enjoy bringing pain to others. It’s in your blood, Master. You are evil incarnate, and there’s no shame in that.”

Ganondorf sneered and pulled his hand away, leaving Ghirahim to fall to the ground and cough on his hands and knees. The white hair swayed with each jerk of the blade-thin body, revealing a set of mismatched ears--one pointed like a Hylian’s, and the other rounded like a Gerudo’s. The rounded one was hidden beneath the hair that was now brushed back into a neat curtain. 

“Master Demise--”

“It’s _Ganondorf.”_

“Master Ganondorf,” Ghirahim tried again, and he received only a sneer. “The time to decide this world’s fate is at hand, and I aim to do my best to make sure you are on the winning side.”

Ganondorf advanced a step, and Ghirahim bowed his head in respect. “I suppose that means killing Link?”

Ghirahim’s head snapped up, and anger flashed across his face. His body hunched with tension, and he nearly snarled, “The sky child must pay!” He collected himself a second later and straightened up to his full height while still keeping his eyes respectfully down. “Master Ganondorf, this hero you have traveled with… Master, forgive me. I don’t understand. You have done such _profane_ things with him--”

“That’s because I have free will!” Ganondorf snapped. “I’m not going to tie myself to a destiny just because I’m told to, do you understand?”

“Just by living you are tied to your destiny. Master, please!” Ghirahim bowed low, for Ganondorf was looking murderous. “Please, Master Ganondorf, take me up as your sword once more and together we will cut the string of fate that ties us to the Hero!”

Ganondorf blinked, and for a moment it appeared as if Ghirahim was a sword tilted towards him hilt-first. The sharp, black curves and winged guard looked familiar, and Ganondorf reached out to take the blade into hand. When he did, he felt a warm glow in his palm, and the sword--no, Ghirahim--trembled as if anticipation.

The illusion broke with a strong push from deep in Ganondorf’s mind. He staggered back a step, his face contorted with anger, and he kicked up. His bare foot caught Ghirahim under the chin, and he heard a cracking sound like breaking glass. The pale man fell back with a cry and looked up with a look of pained dismay. A black crack ran up his chin and over his left cheek and eye. 

Ganondorf pointed a finger at Ghirahim, but the man only continued to look up. It was as if he was awed by the Gerudo’s fury. Nevertheless, Ganondorf felt a threat was needed to get the point across. “If I ever see you again, it will be for the last time. Meddle anymore, and I will kill you.”

“Master--”

_“I am no one’s master but my own!”_ Ganondorf roared, and this time Ghirahim did quail. With a snort of disgust, Ganondorf turned on his heel and stalked back into the orchard. 

Ghirahim gained his feet and made as if to follow, but a pair of voices stopped him mid-step.

**_Do not worry, Ghirahim._ **

**All will be well.**

“He isn’t my master,” Ghirahim spat. “You told me I could help him.”

**_It will be fine. They simply can’t find themselves._ **

**But soon we’ll hand them the tools they need, and the work will be done.**

“And my master will rule over this world?” Ghirahim asked around a smile.

**_Yes, of course._ **

**If he wins, that is.**

“He’ll win,” Ghirahim said. “I’ll make sure he will.”

**_The Hero’s spirit is not to be underestimated, and his attachment to your master is no small trifle._ **

**The house is working on them as planned, but it will never be enough.**

“Then why don’t you fix it yourselves?” Ghirahim snapped.

**_We can interfere only so much, but not to worry._ **

**The Hero has been his own worst enemy since Silbarine.**

**_He has a bad habit of wanting to belong._ **

**The blood in him will undo his efforts time and time again.**

“So you expect me to just stand around and wait? Just like all the other times?”

**_Yes._ **

**Yes.**

It was hard for Ghirahim to argue with the confident voices in his ears. He was confident himself, but he didn’t have the power of a Goddess at hand. That didn’t mean he was fond of standing around and waiting. He had done enough of that already. “If I don’t see results soon, I will interfere in your place,” he warned.

**_He will open the door tomorrow night._ **

**Will that please you?**

Ghirahim’s fingers dug into his arms. “It will be a start.”

#

Ganondorf slept in the following morning, needing some rest after the encounter with Ghirahim. His mind had raced most of the night over endless variations of the meeting. All of them had come to the same conclusion: he should have killed the man right then and there. 

But that was in the past now. With luck, his threat would hold and Ghirahim would stay away. With this hope in mind, Ganondorf got out of bed, bathed, and dressed. He walked downstairs to find Link and Ravio already outside in the yard. The escape to the attic aside, Link hadn’t shown a fondness for remaining in the house’s walls for too long. He and Ravio were brushing down the horses in their paddock. 

Ganondorf jumped the fence and walked over to them. Torrent was relaxing under Ravio’s gentle brushstrokes; the boy was just tall enough to reach up to the horse’s side. Link was combing out the tangles in Epona’s mane and talking to her in Sheikan. He cut off when Ganondorf walked up to his side. 

Link dropped his hands from Epona’s mane and asked in a low voice, “Did I take another walk last night?”

_“Ja,”_ Ganondorf answered, equally low. 

“Maybe you should think about tying me down in bed,” Link suggested with a weak chuckle. The worry was clear in his profile.

“If I think it has to come to that, I will,” Ganondorf assured him, and Link swallowed. He continued, “The door was different last night. It had a keyhole.”

“A keyhole?” Link repeated with a frown. 

“Yeah, I’ve never heard of such a thing in the legends,” Ganondorf had to admit. “Something else…” Link noted the hesitation and looked up. “Ghirahim was there, too. He appeared after the door vanished. You were already heading back to the house…” 

Ganondorf went on to give a brief rundown of the meeting. While he talked, Link ran a nervous hand through Epona’s mane again and again. It stuttered when Ganondorf talked of how he had seen Ghirahim as a sword, and the Gerudo dropped his firmer grip over the paler, shaking fingers.

“I’m not going to let him hurt you again,” he assured Link.

Link pulled his hand away. “It’s not me I’m concerned about.” He patted Epona’s nose and walked around her to help Ravio groom Torrent.

#

Ravio made progress on his reading and writing between meals; by the evening he was able to write his name and a few simple words. He wrote these in his journal as commemoration for his accomplishment--its first proper entry. Ganondorf put him to bed not long after, and told him an old folktale of the Gerudo involving a snake and a desert eagle. 

Link had retreated outside and was lying on the grass. Above the house, the stars and moon shined around thin clouds. Ganondorf sat down beside Link, and the Hylian pointed up at the night sky. “Those clouds are in the same positions as they were all day. And the moon hasn’t changed these past few nights.” He dropped his arm. “The temperature felt the same, too, and the wind blew at all the same times and speed.” 

“We’re stuck in time,” Ganondorf summarized. Above the dark trees, the sound of a long howl rose and fell. “Well, not all of us.”

Link sat up and stared at the woods that surrounded the property. “I was hoping monsters wouldn’t come here.”

“Kara doesn’t seem to mind it at all,” Ganondorf reminded Link. “Perhaps they’re immune. You know, I bet the road is only a few feet beyond those trees. We simply can’t see it. We’re adrift in Time’s river.”

The first howl was answered by another, and then a third. Soon, a whole chorus of wolfos was singing in the dark. Link stared unblinking at the trees. Ganondorf watched his ears twitch with each new voice, and his throat work as if he was holding back words. “Do you feel her at times like this?” he asked Link. “More than the other guy?”

Link licked and smacked his lips. “I always feel her, watching from behind my eyes. Breathing in the same air and hearing the same sounds. She doesn’t leave, and he’s just getting comfortable. I can’t remember a time when my mind was solely my own. Even before… all of that stuff, it was Aryll’s voice I always heard instead of mine.”

“Do you hear _her_ still?” Ganondorf asked next.

“No,” Link said with a shake of his head and a tremble in his voice. “But sometimes I wish I did. They’re hunting.” He nodded at the trees. “They’re hungry.”

“Best we get in then,” Ganondorf suggested. 

“What good will that do?” Link asked. “I’ll be sleepwalking in a few hours, right?” Ganondorf ignored the remark and gained his feet. Link mirrored him after a few more seconds’ listening.

Ganondorf allowed himself to fall asleep, knowing he would awaken as soon as Link set off for the Door of Time. He indeed awoke, but not because of any tug on his inner self. Rather, an intense blue glow pierced his eyelids. Ganondorf’s eyes shot open only to wince against the light. Behind it, he could just make out Link’s silhouette. 

“Link--”

Link took off with the relic in hand. Its curved blade of light sent the blue glow bouncing against the hallway walls. 

Ganondorf rolled onto his feet, tripped up in the bed sheet, and staggered out of the bedroom. He chased after Link through the house and around its outside. The light flashed between the apple trees, leading Ganondorf to the stone door that sat in the field beyond them. He arrived slightly out of breath to find Link inserting the glowing blade into the Door of Time’s keyhole.

_“Link, no!”_

The relic was turned, and a burst of blue lightning bolts accompanied the heavy click of the opening lock. They swept over the Door of Time’s features, and blue light traced the carvings. The doors parted, revealing a sliver of golden light amidst the blue lines. Link reached out to push them open further. 

He didn’t get the chance. Ganondorf snagged him around the waist and pulled him to the ground; using his heavier weight to contain Link, for the Hylian began to struggle and protest at once. The golden light fell across Ganondorf’s back, and it was like a warm hand on his cheek, bidding him to look, just look, just turn his head and--

Ganondorf clenched his eyes shut and stood up with Link in his grip. His arms kept the Hylian’s still, but Link’s legs were free to kick, and his teeth were free to bite. Ganondorf made it halfway through the orchard before he dropped to his knees. He felt the tug of that wonderful, terrible light while Link twisted and whirled in his arms like a small storm. The apple trees creaked and groaned overhead in a wind that couldn’t be felt. 

“Just stop,” Ganondorf whispered. He pressed his forehead against Link’s flushed back and closed his eyes. “Just stop.” He gained his feet again, tripped on a fallen apple, and nearly lost his grip around Link. 

With the first step into the house’s yard, Link stilled. It wasn’t until Ganondorf reached the house did he become aware of himself and ask, “Gan, why are you carrying me?”

“Oh thank the Goddesses,” Ganondorf gasped. He put Link down at once, spun him around, and embraced him properly. Link stood stiff within Ganondorf’s arms until the Gerudo pulled away. “You opened that damned door with that arrow of yours--You were acting like an animal--Look at these bite marks--”

“Gan,” Link cut in with upraised hands. “Start from the beginning.”

They retreated to their shared bedroom, and here Ganondorf told Link everything that had happened in the past twenty minutes. Link was quiet throughout, and his face gave nothing away. This unsettled Ganondorf. The Hylian was incredibly curious, so why was he acting so passive to the news of the opened Door of Time?

“Well,” Link said when the story was told, and he looked down at his grass-stained palms. “At least I didn’t let that other guy in when you were carrying me.”

“Probably because you were doing what he wanted,” Ganondorf suggested.

Link reflected on his dream of the young man in the house. “Yeah,” he answered vaguely. “Listen--I’m tired. I’m going back to bed. Don’t let me out again, all right?”

“I promise you I won’t,” Ganondorf answered, and Link nodded in satisfaction before turning into the house. 

It was an easy enough promise to keep. Link didn’t wake again until the morning, but in the interlude he struggled against dreams. He found himself trapped in bodies that weren’t his own. He switched between them as a pack of wolfos advanced, eyes bright with hunger. He struggled to communicate to them. He could force them back if only he could speak. But out of whose throat? And in what language? They all crowded his mind while a dozen heroes and one beast tried to make use of his voice.

Link jerked awake in a cold sweat. The bed sheet stuck to him when he sat up, and his sidelocks were damp when he pulled them off his cheeks. After making sure the sunlight coming through the windows was real, Link swung out of bed and grabbed a fresh change of clothes. He carried it all to the bathroom where he washed down and untangled his short hair. It was finally starting to grow out a little, he was pleased to find.

Breakfast could wait until the others were awake, so Link stepped outside to soak in the sunlight after the harrowing night. He looked across the yard, taking in the new wooden cover that sat over the exposed well, and the garden that was still flourishing. At the back of his neck, he felt a something like a tap. He turned around the corner of the house and looked to the orchard. He could see something through the trees; something in the field. 

It wouldn’t hurt to check. Link began to walk along the side of the house. As the back corner drew near, a familiar scent began to saturate the air. Link stopped a foot from the corner. He knew this smell, although he couldn’t place it right away. He thought back; back on the memories tied to the smell. A flash of a village thick with rot came to him, and he staggered back with a hand over his mouth and nose. No. No, no, no, not the--

One of the stall doors had been kicked almost in half during the struggle. Through the break in the wood, Link saw a bloodied brown hoof surrounded in red, oversized paw prints. He… He had to see… They might only be hurt…

“Epona?” Link called in a whisper. “Torrent?” He stepped up to the stall and unlocked the busted door with a shaking hand.

It was a small mercy that they were unrecognizable. That didn’t stop the scream from ripping through Link’s throat over and over again. He had nearly blown his voice by the time Ganondorf came running around the house half-dressed. Ravio wasn’t long on his heels. The boy froze at the sight beyond the open stall door, but after a few seconds began to advance.

“Ravio!” Ganondorf called. His arms were full, wrapped around Link’s grieving form; the Regn Hylian couldn’t stand on his own. 

Ravio ignored the call and stepped gingerly into Epona’s stall. He backed out seconds later and opened Torrent’s stall next. Disturbed flies accompanied each inspection. Ravio waved them away from his face before he returned to Ganondorf. “Wolfos,” he whispered. 

A keening sound left Link’s roughened throat, and he buried his fingers in Ganondorf’s arms. “My fault. It’s all my fault…”

Ganondorf didn’t argue, but he carried Link back to the house; Ravio followed. When Ganondorf laid Link back in bed, the boy climbed up to lay beside him. “Keep an eye on him,” Ganondorf said. Ravio nodded, and the Gerudo left the room.

Link sobbed and hid his head under his pillow, but this didn’t deter Ravio. He pushed beneath the pillow and looked straight at Link’s flushed, wet face. _“Saio,_ I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

Link turned over and buried his sobs into the mattress. Ravio was left to speak to the back of Link’s head, but this didn’t deter him. _“Saio,_ I know it’s sad. I’m sad too. But hey, it’s okay. They’re not hurt anymore. They’re with the nice lady now. She’ll take good care of them. It’s not so bad with her. It’s like being wrapped in a warm hug. And when we go see the nice lady, we’ll see them again.”

Ravio thought that maybe Link’s sobs quieted a little after hearing this. Encouraged, the boy continued, _“Saio,_ tell me about how you met Epona and Torrent. Tell me all of the good memories, and the bad ones won’t hurt as much.”

Link’s sobs tapered off, he sniffled, and he turned back over. Ravio pushed away the pillow and leaned in to kiss Link’s forehead. He was rewarded with the smallest of smiles.

“Epona was one of my very best friends,” Link began in a struggling voice. 

#

By noon, Ganondorf had broken down the stable and used the soiled boards to build a pyre for what remained of the horses. It took the rest of the afternoon and evening for the fire to burn everything down to smoldering ash. Link watched the last hour from a seat in the grass a few feet away, and Ganondorf and Ravio sat to either side of him in equal vigilance. Link had caught Ganondorf crying earlier in the day, but now the Gerudo was stone-faced. 

As the daylight turned towards twilight, the wolfos howls picked up deep in the trees. Link growled at the sound, and his fingers dug into his arms. Ravio and Ganondorf looked on in alarm when he stood up and shouted hoarsely into the trees. The words had a hint of a snarl in them, and it was in no language Ganondorf knew. But the howls died at the sound of the shout. 

When the worst of the heat had left the spread of ash, Link stood up again and walked into the center of it. It wasn’t as soft as he expected. The crumbled bones had given it a rough texture, and it clung to his bare soles as he traced a series of steps, kicking up ash in his wake. A low spread of water pushed up from under the ground. The ash was soaked and pulled down flush against the ground when the water receded. 

Link stepped onto dryer ground and heaved a sigh. “This is how it started before.”

Ganondorf stood up and walked to him. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“It’s just like before,” Link said again. “First the dreams, and now the deaths, and it’s all my fault. Soon I’ll be all alone. Maybe that’s all I deserve.”

“That’s not true,” Ganondorf almost snapped. “Ravio and me--we’re still here. And all of our family and friends are waiting for us to come home.”

Link only shook his head and walked away; back into the house. Ganondorf let him go. 

#

The house was even quieter than normal, stuffed with the silence of grief. Link wandered its halls and rooms, unable to sleep. His thoughts whirled with images from the past and recent present. No matter how he looked at it, it was ultimately his fault. Ganondorf could argue with him until both of their faces were blue, but it wouldn’t change the facts. Fundamentally, Link’s cursed life was the root of everything. 

Link walked out into the yard with his head down. His feet led him to the spread of damp ash on the ground, and he took a seat beside it. The hours passed, drawing closer to dawn, and he may have slept for one or two of them before he lifted his eyes towards the trees and saw a slender man standing there.

“Please, don’t get up on my account,” Ghirahim said with a smile when Link made to stand. He vanished from the trees’ shadows only to reappear behind Link. His thin hands fell on the Hylian’s shoulders. “Pity, isn’t it? They were fine beasts. But I suppose they made finer suppers.”

Link was unarmed, but his anger fueled the fist he swung up at Ghirahim. One of the thin hands left his shoulder to catch it, and Ghirahim twisted the arm up behind Link. The Hylian grimaced and bowed over under Ghirahim’s folded leg when it pressed against his upper back. 

“There’s no need to rush,” Ghirahim scolded. His mouth was a few inches from Link’s right ear, and a long tongue flicked up the pointed lobe. Link twisted his head away, but it was caught under the chin by Ghirahim’s other hand. “I come with a gift from the Goddesses. It’s an answer to your problem.”

“Which one?” Link snapped.

“All of them, apparently,” Ghirahim replied. “The curse is the root of all your troubles, is it not?” He smiled when Link stilled. “The Goddesses know of a way to remove it.”

Link paused to consider his current state. He wasn’t dead yet, and he knew Ghirahim was working for the Goddesses. But those same Goddesses were behind everything, so…

“You have your doubts,” Ghirahim picked up. “Rest assured, they’re well-grounded. However, the Goddesses have a strong desire to see you win. Any gift from them will only help you.”

It made sense. Sort of. Link tried to relax and said, “I’m listening.”

“The Door of Time is now open,” Ghirahim began. “It sits there, in the field.” He twisted Link’s head around towards the orchard behind the house. “It waits to be entered. And inside?” Ghirahim’s tongue licked at Link’s ear a second time. “The Master Sword. The Sword of Evil’s Bane. A weapon so divine, it cleanses evil--scrubs it away. The same sort of evil sleeping in your blood. Take the blade in hand, and you won’t have to worry about a pack of wolfos sneaking in to rip the child apart next.”

Link jerked his head away at the thought, and this time Ghirahim released him. When Link turned in his seat, it was to find Ghirahim gone. The tug on the back of his neck, however, persisted.

**#######**

**Translations**

_“Bradamt gerad balla eow!”:_ [Gerudian] “Breathe, you stupid fool!”

_pliste:_ [Gerudian] piss

_“Leogre.”:_ [Gerudian] “Liar.”


	11. Pieces of a Whole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link goes through the Door of Time, but he's not the only one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update is another victim of my bad days, but if I play with it anymore it will get worse. Please enjoy, thanks.

# Undertow

### Chapter Ten: Pieces of a Whole

Link stood on his feet, still feeling the pain in his upper back from when Ghirahim’s knee had leaned against him. Through the apple trees he could see a pale light apart from the brightening sunlight. Something swung his foot forward in the first step towards the orchard, but with a shiver he drew back the foot and turned instead towards the house.

Ganondorf was still asleep. He jerked awake at Link’s touch and turned bleary eyes onto the Hylian’s pale face. After pushing himself up and swinging his legs over the bed’s side, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Link wrung his hands throughout the story of Ghirahim’s visit. When he finished, he studied Ganondorf’s closed face for a hint of the man’s thoughts. 

But Ganondorf gave nothing away, and he was quiet for a while before he asked, “Is that what you want?”

Link’s worrying hands paused. “What?”

“This curse of yours has ruined your happiness more than once,” Ganondorf went on. “You’ve suffered more than enough for an innocent mistake, and yet fate keeps throwing things at you that you can’t dodge. Could be the Master Sword is what you need to set things right.”

“You believe Ghirahim then?”

“I believe my memories.” Ganondorf put a hand to his bare chest. “I remember the bite of that blade despite never having seen it in my lifetime. I know its power over evil.”

Link shook his head. “The Goddesses aren’t that kind. There’s an ulterior motive--”

“Of course there is,” Ganondorf cut in. “They want you to kill me, or vice versa. Putting that sword in your hands will stir up your lives’ past memories in you, and without any tainted blood to cloud them it will be like seeing sunlight for the first time after years spent in a cave.”

Link shivered. “Sunlight can be blinding.”

Ganondorf only asked again, “Is that what you want?”

Tension erased the shake in Link’s shoulders, and his pale face reddened with anger. “Stop asking me that! What, you’re willing to die for my happiness? Is that it?” Ganondorf said nothing. “What about Ravio? How do you think he would feel?”

“He’ll have you,” Ganondorf answered. A wave of his hand deterred anymore arguments from Link. “Let me piss and get dressed, then we’ll go see this door.”

Link scowled and took a seat on the bed when Ganondorf stood up from it. He shouldn’t have said anything. He sat in sullen silence until Ganondorf was ready. 

Kara found Link and Ganondorf outside. The smoke from the pyre had kept her away the previous day, and now she took her usual roost atop Link’s head with a bevy of half-chirped remarks. Link reached up to stroke her neck, and she gently mouthed his finger with her beak before falling to preen her wings. The orchard didn’t frighten her away when Link and Ganondorf walked into it, and neither did the Door of Time.

As Ghirahim had claimed, the door was open a few inches. Light spilled out of the opening to fall against the ground in a slanted beam. Flowers were in full bloom under the light.

“Ager bloom,” Ganondorf named, and Link scowled. “So are you going in?”

Link jerked his head up, and Kara tweeted in annoyance. He had temporarily forgotten why they were here. “Do you think I should?”

“It’s not my decision,” Ganondorf answered. “But if you want my opinion…” Link nodded, encouraging him. “I think you deserve happiness, and even though this isn’t the option I would choose, it will probably be the only guaranteed one.”

Link looked to the door, sighed, and lifted a hand up to Kara. A small whistle encouraged her to flutter to it, and Link placed her on Ganondorf’s shoulder. “Be right back,” he said with a weak smile. He took a step towards the door, and it opened wider with a quiet creak. The light spilled across Link, and he winced against it. A few more steps took him through the door, and it closed behind him.

Kara chirped and dove off of Ganondorf’s shoulder. He grabbed for her, but she dodged with a turn of her wings and zipped through the last few inches of open door. It _snicked_ closed, and Ganondorf cursed. Now he was alone and with no idea of what was going on within whatever world the door opened upon.

Only he wasn’t alone. No sooner was the door closed did a laugh cut across the quiet morning. A slender form stepped out from behind the door, and a sly smile greeted Ganondorf. “Hello, Master,” Ghirahim said with a deep, graceful bow. “I bring greetings from the Goddesses.”

“You mean the same ones who just sent Link stumbling face-first into his fate?” Ganondorf snapped.

Ghirahim’s face flickered with contempt for a second, but his hair hid most of the emotion from Ganondorf. “Yes,” he replied. “But the hero isn’t the only one bound by fate.”

Ganondorf’s eyes snapped back to the door. It had opened a crack, and light spilled out of it. Ghirahim was now behind him, and his hands rested on Ganondorf’s upper arms. “You know what waits for you in there.”

“Do I?” Ganondorf said, but his attempt at ignorance fell flat. His mouth was dry. He smacked his lips, but they felt like sand.

Ghirahim’s whispers continued. “You are in a better position than any of your predecessors. You’re not lacking in power or courage, and your wisdom has kept the boy on track.”

Ganondorf swallowed. “I could…” He grimaced around the dry, sour taste of his words. 

“What would be your wish?” Ghirahim asked. “Would you wish to be free of your fate? Both of you? Do you want to live out the rest of your long life in bliss, unchained from destiny? Do you want to see him happy--truly happy, with no strings attached?”

How much of his childhood had been spent dreaming of that golden power that would grant any wish? How much had he admired the green land of Hyrule that was protected day and night? That sat in the Goddesses’ favor? The people of that kingdom never feared a cold wind or invasion. They were free to expand as they willed, and everywhere they went they found rich pastures and warm welcomes.

“It waits for you to claim it.” Although Ghirahim was shorter than Ganondorf, the Gerudo heard the sly voice at his ear. It sent a shiver down his spine, and he felt the tatau on his back burn. He stepped up to the door and pushed it open further. Golden light welcomed him; wrapped its arms around him and drew him in deeper.

#

The golden light cleared, and Link blinked away blue afterimages of a glowing door. Before he could focus on what laid in front of him, a chirp turned his head around. Kara came flitting through the closing Door of Time to land on Link’s head. He sighed but didn’t bother chastening her. He was more interested in what was now behind the door. It was a wide room with a shrine at the end closest to the door. Glowing stones hovered above the shrine, and steps led up on either side of it. The Door of Time sat atop the landing in the shadow of a tall opening. Link made to step forward and inspect the space, but a wall of magic stopped him.

The floor was polished, and it reflected everything. Link looked down to study his shadowy reflection before he lifted his eyes up to the other side of the room. More stairs led up to a wide dais, and upon it sat a sword buried blade-down in a stone plinth. It was awash in colored light that filtered through the stained glass windows high above.

Something in Link’s gut wrenched, and with a yell he staggered forward two steps before dropping to his hands and knees. He looked down in expectation to see an injury, but it was something internal that was pushing and shoving him across the room. He voiced another strangled yell and bit his tongue while he fought his arms and legs. They were moving on their own; forcing him to crawl towards the sword. 

Was this the Goddesses? Link closed his eyes and focused on the nauseous, roiling feeling in his mind and gut. Flashes of another’s memories played across the inside of his eyelids. He saw Ganondorf in another place and time. He felt fury and misery boil over. If he died… If he was put down, then--

“No,” Link eked out. He forced his arms to stop, and he sat up with a back stiff with clenching muscles. “No, listen to me. Listen!”

The rage fell back some, but the memories remained. Link’s eyes overflowed with tears in their wake. “It won’t… It won’t change what happened!” His voice was strained, but he forced the words out. “I’m sorry for what happened. I’m sorry for how much you suffered, truly, but this isn’t the answer. This won’t change what happened to you. It isn’t him this time, do you get that? It isn’t him. It’s the Goddesses. They’re behind this, and I’m sure they were behind it back then too. They used both of you like puppets.”

The tension was leaving Link’s back, and the clouds that had been moving across his vision now pulled away. He wiped tears from his face and spit from his lips. Kara, now perched upon the shining floor, chirped, “Link,” in concern.

Link took a few deep breaths. “I’ll take up that sword for all of us, but it won’t be to kill him. It will be to cut the threads of fate that trap us.”

His feet were steady when he stood up on them. He waited for the rage to return, but now there was only a bright fire burning in him. He chuckled a little. “I think we would have gotten along well.”

Kara resumed her perch once Link was on his feet. Her beak played with the tip of his left ear, but she stilled with the first step Link took onto the dais. The third step sent her fluttering away in silence. Link stopped and turned around to find the guay perched on the floor beyond the dais. He whistled for her, but the call was ignored.

“Stay there then,” Link grumbled. He wanted to get this done. The fire in his gut urged him on. He reached out for the sword’s blue grip, wrapped his hand around it, and pulled. The blade came out of the plinth with no resistance, and it sat perfectly balanced in his hand when he swung it up. It was odd. He had been expecting more fanfare. 

A blur of black feathers and an angry screech accompanied Kara when she dove at Link’s head. He ducked on instinct and cursed. His feet backtracked, and he slipped over the edge of the dais to sprawl on the floor. The clang of the sword rang in his ears.

_Ree-ree-ree!_ Kara’s screech returned with a ready beak and talons. Link rolled over to protect his eyes, and she buzzed the back of his head before swooping up to regain altitude.

“Kara! Kara, what--” Link’s shout ended abruptly when nausea hit him again, lower in the gut than before. His vision swam, and the sword grip in his hand began to burn against his skin. He gasped in the wake of a hard kick in his intestines, and Kara swooped at him again.

“Kara--” Link tried to gain his feet, but his head was having nothing to do with keeping balance. He needed to drop the burning sword. His fingers were clenched tight around the grip in pain, and they refused to open.

Link retched, and blood pattered against the polished floor. Its metallic taste filled his mouth. He spat more out and tried again to gain his feet. Kara’s talons raking into his hair deterred him. Her screech faded when she swooped up towards the ceiling, and then it began to grow louder once more.

_“Kara, stop!”_ Link shouted. He swung a hand to scare her away, and the sword lifted up in his grip with a flash of light. A soft crunch was followed by a weak screech of pain, and a ball of crumpled feathers bounced past Link.

Link stared at the reddened feathers, grief and dismay rising along with his gorge. The latter won out, and he vomited more blood. His stomach constricted, and pain wracked his body. There was a high ringing in his ears. He lifted his hands to cover them, and he encountered more blood. It was pouring out of every orifice. He caught sight of his reflection in a clean patch of floor, and he screamed.

#

The door closed softly behind Ganondorf, and he stopped before it to gape open-mouthed at the pristine temple that surrounded him. Everything shined with an ethereal blue light, and looked warm and welcoming despite the hard lines. But nothing shined as brightly as the triangular object that hovered above a small dais. Ganondorf almost couldn’t look at it; but he did, and in hunger. It was simple in shape--three triangles, that was all. Yet it gave off an aura rich in potential. It didn’t judge, or take sides. It simply existed, and waited.

“The Triforce.” The word came crisp off of Ganondorf’s tongue. There was no hesitation in his steps when he drew closer. The golden light filled his eyes and chest, and kissed his skin with warmth. He reached out to caress it.

The light dropped away into shadow, and a roar filled Ganondorf’s ears. He watched in dismay as the Triforce shattered into three pieces that went flying away. Only one of them circled back. It punched into the back of Ganondorf’s right hand, and he yelled in surprise and pain. The piece burned against his skin, and he dug his fingernails into it. But no sooner did the pain come did it leave with a sputtering of golden light. The piece faded, but Ganondorf sensed its presence within him. 

The beautiful temple fell away, and Ganondorf dropped into darkness. He was unafraid of dying, and soon enough his feet dropped onto solid ground--a mirror-like floor. He was in a new temple; one not as pristine, but still with an air of unmatched holiness. Before him, an empty plinth sat atop a dais. Not far from the edge of the latter was a feathered ball.

“Kara! Oh, Kara…” Ganondorf scooped up the guay and found her cold and stiffening. He tucked her broken body into a pouch on his belt and looked around more. Not far from where Kara had lain sat a small pile of torn, blood-soaked clothes. Ganondorf’s eyes tracked the occasional smear of blood that led away from the clothes, and he took a step back when his gaze fell on a wall of dark fur.

“Link…”

The Dark Wolfos raised her head from where it had been resting on her oversized paws. She filled a quarter of the room, and the mouth she revealed in a yawn was lined with sharp teeth as long as Ganondorf’s forearm. “Your mothers’ curse was good for something,” she remarked in a low voice.

“Then… You’re--” Ganondorf stopped when the Dark Wolfos’s tail moved away, revealing a pale form curled up alongside her belly.

“He’s alive,” she stated. Ganondorf ran up to her and pulled Link into his arms. The Hylian was pale, but breathing. His eyes were closed in sleep. “I cleaned him up.”

She was waiting for some sort of response or praise. Ganondorf pulled his shirt off and wrapped it around Link before he said, “Thank you. But how are you here? What happened?”

“It was the Master Sword.” The black muzzle turned right, and Ganondorf followed it to see a discarded sword with a glowing blade. “It cleansed him of me, and the remnant magic of that curse gave me the power I needed to resume my form.”

“So… So he’s free of the curse now?” Ganondorf asked, hesitant.

“Free of that one,” the Dark Wolfos confirmed, “but now tied down by another, and one far worse. He wanted to cut the thread of fate, but has only succeeded in tangling the two of you further up in it.”

“I can handle a little destiny,” Ganondorf assured her, but even as he said this he felt a throb in the back of his right hand. His Triforce piece stuttered to life, and was mirrored at the back of Link’s left hand. “Oh. Oh, Goddesses…”

“For all your talk of avoiding fate, you walked right into their hands easily enough.” The Dark Wolfos sniggered, stood up, and stretched before shaking her fur into order. “Let’s leave this place. It’s unsettling.”

Ganondorf agreed. He stood up with Link in his arms and walked to the Door of Time that stood on the other side of the room. He didn’t believe the Dark Wolfos would fit through, but the door grew to accompany her; almost as if it was eager to be rid of them. It closed and vanished from the field as soon as the monster’s tail was clear.

The Dark Wolfos sniffed at the air. “This place is no better,” she remarked, but she walked behind Ganondorf to the house. The doors here didn’t stretch, so she laid down in the yard while Ganondorf carried Link inside.

Ravio was awake and sitting in the kitchen. When he saw Ganondorf carrying Link, a dozen questions fell from his young tongue before a glimpse of the Dark Wolfos through the window turned the words into a scream.

Link jerked and mumbled, _“Lytel…”_ His eyes widened when he saw where he was, and he struggled at first until Ganondorf tightened his grip.

“Link, stop it! Ravio, be quiet!” Ganondorf barked these orders, and they were obeyed. “Everything’s fine,” he assured both Link and Ravio. It wasn’t the truth, and this showed in his strained words and face. “Ravio, get some water for Link and bring it to the bedroom, okay?”

“No!” Ravio almost screamed. “No, the water is outside! Don’t you see the monster?”

“She’s a friend,” Ganondorf assured the boy, but no manner of convincing worked. “All right, fine!” he snapped after a half-minute’s arguing. “Come with us, then.”

Ravio eagerly followed behind Ganondorf as he carried Link upstairs to the bedroom. The Hylian had fallen back into unconsciousness. Once he was lain down in bed, Ravio crawled up beside him. Ganondorf was left with the task of getting water. The Dark Wolfos watched him the whole while.

Link didn’t wake up until close to noon, and he didn’t have the strength to leave bed until the next morning. In the hours between, Ravio stayed by his side. Over dinner, Ganondorf and Link exchanged their experiences within the world that the Door of Time led them to. Both Link and Ravio wept over Kara’s body, and the three of them made a vow to add her ashes to Epona’s and Torrent’s.

“It’s my fault,” Link said. “If I hadn’t gone through that door--”

“You would still be cursed,” Ganondorf cut in. “If you want to blame someone, blame me. I fell for Ghirahim’s lies. I couldn’t wield the Triforce, and now we’re both neck-deep in the Goddesses’ game.”

Link wiped tears from his eyes. “Where’s the sword?” he asked. His tone suggested hope that it had been left behind. But Ganondorf explained the Dark Wolfos had carried it out in her mouth--delicately, and with obvious distaste--until she was clear of the door. It now sat at the edge of the field.

“Why didn’t _you_ carry it?” Link asked after hearing this. Ganondorf shrugged and didn’t answer. 

A sound night’s sleep and solid meals gave Link the strength he needed to get out of bed come the morning. He was up before anyone else, and after washing down and getting dressed he padded downstairs and out into the yard. The Dark Wolfos wasn’t in sight, and for this Link was glad. What had happened to him was still foggy, and he didn’t want to face it quite yet. But the Master Sword had to be retrieved, so he cut across the yard and into the orchard. 

The sword laid against the grass, gleaming in the morning sunlight. Link picked it up and found a scabbard beneath it. He sighed, strapped the scabbard on, and sheathed the blade. It weighed on his back the whole walk back, but he forgot all about it when he saw the black shape standing in the yard.

She wasn’t as big as he remembered, although he was sure she hadn’t shrunk. She watched him approach in silence. Her silky fur ruffled when the muscles beneath it moved. A high whine was coming from somewhere. Link sought out the sound and found a wolfos caught beneath its larger cousin’s heavy paw.

“I caught him,” the Dark Wolfos explained when Link drew closer. “I thought you might want to do the honors.”

“What honors?” Link asked. It should have been strange talking to her face to face, but there was an air of familiarity about it.

“It’s the leader of the pack that killed your horses.”

Link’s eyes jerked down to the smaller monster. Its eyes were wide in terror, and its oversized claws dug gouges in the yard. It was already bloodied up from its capture, but the wounds weren’t life-threatening. The sword weighed on his back again.

Link sucked in a deep breath. “Let him go. There’s been enough bloodshed lately.”

If the Dark Wolfos was disappointed, she didn’t show it. Her paw lifted, and the wolfos took off with a yelp; its tail between its legs. Without the monster to distract them, the pair only had each other. Link studied the beast some more before he asked, “Are you here to kill us?”

“I am too old to play these Goddesses’ silly games,” the Dark Wolfos answered. “And my will is my own. I have no desire to harm any of you--not even the little one that smells like rabbit.” Her snout lifted towards the house, and Link turned around to see a pale face in the kitchen window.

“Hold on,” Link said before walking to the house. 

Inside the kitchen, Ravio pulled away from the window to run up and hug Link’s legs. _“Saio,_ what are you doing talking to the monster?” he asked in a high voice.

“She’s a… She’s not going to hurt us, Rav,” Link assured. “It’s not her fault that she’s here.” He bent over and picked up the boy, and Ravio hid his nose in Link’s thin shoulder. _“Min lytel rabeta, hwaest proballe?_ What is it, hmmm? Don’t tell me you’re afraid.”

Ravio nodded, and Link chuckled. “What if I carry you out?” he asked next. “Will that work?”

Ravio’s hands curled up in Link’s tunic, but he said nothing to refuse the idea. Link took a cautious step towards the backdoor, and when Ravio didn’t panic he slowly walked out into the yard. The boy kept his face hidden until the Dark Wolfos’s shadow fell over him. Then he raised his head with a gasp and attempted to crawl over Link’s shoulder, away from the sniffing nose.

“Easy, easy,” Link said to both of them. He took a half-step back and held up a hand towards the black muzzle. “Easy,” he repeated, softer, as his hand fell against the short fur there. “Now you try, Rav.”

It took a while, but Ravio eventually held out an arm and dropped shaking fingers against the muzzle. His small fingers scratched the fur, and he even managed a giggle before a wet tongue slipped out and licked him from waist to head. Ravio stiffened, his sticky face one of shock, and he dropped his arm to hide his face once more in Link’s shoulder. 

By the time Ganondorf woke up and made himself presentable, Ravio was scaling the Dark Wolfos’s side like a mountain and burying himself in the dark fur. Link watched them from a short distance away with a scabbard in the grass at his side. Ganondorf gave this latter a long look before he took a seat on Link’s opposite side.

“She’s not so bad,” Link remarked. “She likes Ravio. And she promises not to eat us.” Despite these words, Link’s voice sounded a little hollow.

“You all right?” Ganondorf asked.

Link dropped his eyes to his lap. “I should hate her. But I don’t, and I can’t understand why.”

Ganondorf dropped a hand onto Link’s shoulder. “It’s because you’ve moved beyond your past. Remember, that’s what this whole trip was about. The moment you said it was time to go home was the moment you stopped blaming yourself.”

“Of course--I blame her!” Link said with a gesture at the Dark Wolfos. “So why don’t I--”

“Link,” Ganondorf cut in. “You really think she’s that separate from you?”

Link dropped his arms and eyes. After a minute in silence, he picked up the Master Sword and walked into the house where he stayed for the rest of the day.

**#######**

**Translations**

_“…hwaest proballe?”:_ [Sheikan] “…what’s wrong?”


	12. High and Low

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf and Link attempt to escape their trap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please enjoy!

# Undertow

### Chapter Eleven: High and Low

Against the far wall, opposite the foot of the bed, the Master Sword leaned in its scabbard. The low lamplight flickered against the jewel set into the crossguard. The motion mimicked the thoughts racing through Link’s head. He sighed, wiped a new line of sweat from his brow, and closed his eyes for another countless time.

“Let’s try again,” he murmured; a familiar phrase in the last few hours. He attempted once more to relax his body while clearing his mind. He held his breath while he concentrated, but almost at once it clenched inside him when his focus struck a hard wall. Link tensed and twisted in his seat atop the bed. A small sound eked out of his tight throat, and a deafening blackness filled his head. It released all at once seconds later, and he gasped in the wake of the failure. His arms, braced on either side of him, trembled and grew cold.

“Maybe… I spoke… too soon,” Link gasped. “You don’t… seem very fond of me.” The creak of the bedroom door turned Link’s attention to it, and he squinted against the bright ball of light hovering above Ganondorf’s upturned palm.

“You all right?” Ganondorf asked. “I heard talking.”

“I’m fine,” Link answered in a stronger voice. “I was trying to meditate. No luck, though.”

Ganondorf walked into the room and studied Link’s pale, sweaty face. “You look terrible.”

“I haven’t had much success,” Link explained. “Where’s Ravio?”

The switch in subject turned Ganondorf’s concerns aside. “He’s outside. I think he fell asleep out there. You want me to…?”

_“Neh,_ I got him.” Link swung out of the bed and walked past Ganondorf to the hall. The walk to the front yard was hard on his stiff legs, but he hid his pain when he came in sight of the dark, hulking form lying on the grass. 

“Ah, I was hoping to keep him,” the Dark Wolfos said when Link reached her. A purple-clad form was folded up against her side. “He’s cute.”

“Mmmm.” Link stepped over a paw and scooped Ravio into his arms. The boy moved only enough to press his nose against Link’s tunic. Link studied him for a moment before cautiously meeting the Dark Wolfos’s eyes. “What do you plan on doing now that you’re… out?”

“What would you have me do?” the beast asked in return. Link didn’t know what to say, so she continued, “If you want me to stay and help you against this trap you’ve found yourself in, I’ll do what I can. But if you would rather I leave, I’ll do so gladly. I’m not bound by the Goddesses’ rules. I may go where I will.”

Link adjusted his grip around Ravio while he thought to himself. Eventually, he said in a quiet voice, “I’ve done my best to put my past behind me on this trip. Gan’s helped me a lot, and so has Ravio. They’re my family now, along with everyone who’s waiting for me to return to Hyrule. Silbarine and my tribe will always have a place in my heart, but with you around they’ll leave no room for anyone else because all I’ll think about is how I failed them when I should be thinking about how to continue bettering myself.” He sucked in a deep breath. “So please, go.”

The Dark Wolfos stood up. Link waited for her to deny his request despite her promise, or for her to say a last word. But she turned around and vanished into the wood with as little sound as a shadow. Climbing to the bedrooms minutes later with Ravio in his arms, Link still felt some trace of the beast in his chest, but it was no more or less noticeable than a scar. 

With Ravio tucked into bed Link left the boy’s bedroom to find himself pulled off his feet and tossed over Ganondorf’s shoulder. “Hey!” Link slapped the Gerudo’s back, but Ganondorf only shushed him as he toted him to the bathroom. Within it, the tub was filled with heated water. Link was de-clothed and dropped into it with little ceremony, and Ganondorf at once went to work on kneading the sore muscles in his back and shoulders.

Link didn’t have the energy to spare for anymore complaining, and the massage felt good anyway. He did his best to relax into it.

“She’s gone, is she?” Ganondorf asked after a minute’s silence.

Link nodded. “Yeah.”

“That’s a good thing,” Ganondorf remarked, and indeed he sounded glad. “What are you doing with that sword?”

“The Master Sword?” Link shrugged under Ganondorf’s moving hands. “I don’t know.”

“Well until you figure it out, keep it in that third bedroom,” Ganondorf said. “It gives me a bad vibe for reasons I don’t think I need to get into.”

“Right,” Link said with a sigh. He reached up with his left hand to still Ganondorf’s right one. Their Triforce pieces glimmered under their skin. “What about this? Does this bother you?”

Ganondorf cleared his throat and moved his shining hand down Link’s back. “Not at all, and that’s what worries me.”

“Do you want me to be in the third bedroom, too?” Link asked next.

“No,” Ganondorf answered again, but he was slightly more hesitant this time. His hands swept up Link’s neck, squeezed gently, and moved back down.

#

In the dark of the bedroom, Link thumbed a drop of water off of his cheek from his damp hair. Ganondorf was already snoring beside him. Link tried to push the rough sound away when he closed his eyes and relaxed his body. He was going to give it one last go. He wanted to know what was on the Fierce Deity’s mind--the Hero of Time’s mind.

The memories had come flooding to him after his blood’s cleansing. While the Dark Wolfos’s tongue worked over him and his body fought the looming unconsciousness, Link had felt the images, sounds, and smells hit him as soundly as a hammer struck a nail. It was a defining moment, as Ganondorf had warned him. He saw all of his past lives at once, and touched and understood them all. The most startling moment came when he saw a familiar god-like man taking down a masked fiend. 

This was the Fierce Deity. Only he wasn’t simply rage given form. He was once a hero, too--the Hero of Time--and he had saved not one world but two. It had left him in the shattered shell of a child; a shell that broke as he grew out of it. His rage was similar to Link’s rage: a fury directed at the Goddesses who had set him on his path. Even after death they hadn’t finished with him. He was forced to wander, full of bitterness, until he had set another on a path like the one he had walked; a descendant of himself, no less.

Link wanted to connect to this torn hero, but he was afraid of the feelings and memories rising up. The Hero of Time blamed everything on the Ganondorf of his era. The Ganondorf Link knew wasn’t like that, but it was hard to explain something to a person who was little more than a memory of a memory. But perhaps on a deeper level he could reach the Hero of Time without giving his whole self over.

Link took a deep breath and held it in his chest. Almost at once he felt his mind slip down, and he followed it into darkness. The pressure in his lungs fell away, as did the sounds of Ganondorf’s snores, and Link opened a different set of eyes onto a familiar house.

The Hero of Time was walking towards the hole in the middle of the house’s foyer. Only to him, it wasn’t a hole. In the light of four torches, Link saw an open-sided box rise up. The Hero of Time got into the box with his fairy, and they descended down the hole. Link’s point of view went with them. He noted they were dropping into what was a flooded basement in the present time. He wondered what to expect.

It turned out to be not much more than a gallery. Paintings were hung on each side of the room, with short hallways branching off in various directions, housing more artwork. One hallway had a set of stairs at the end. It was there that the Hero of Time headed. 

But a snort from Ganondorf dragged Link out of the meditation, and the memory cracked before falling into darkness. He let out his held breath and sucked air into his aching lungs. It had been so easy that time. Why was that? He couldn’t figure it out, and neither could he drop back into the memory. He sighed, lay down, and fell to watching Ganondorf’s mid-sleep tics until he, too, fell asleep.

#

Ravio was up before either Link or Ganondorf the next morning. He worked his way into their bed in the quiet of the dawn and made himself a space between Ganondorf’s side and Link’s chest. There he shivered in the aftermath of a nightmare until Link wrapped an arm around him and, half-asleep, muttered a question in Sheikan.

Ravio understood only a few of the words, but he guessed Link wanted to know what was wrong. “It was another nightmare,” he whispered. “You and _Faedra_ were fighting, only _Faedra_ was a monster.”

“It’s just a dream,” Link murmured. “It’s okay.” He yawned and pulled Ravio closer, and the boy stopped shaking.

Breakfast put cheer back into Ravio, although he was saddened to learn the Dark Wolfos was gone. With no monster to play with, the boy entertained himself with making an honest effort to explore the house. He was looking for more artifacts or clues related to the bracelet Ganondorf had found for him. Like the rabbit costume, the bracelet rarely came off. He took his book and a pencil with him, along with Link’s request to be careful.

Ganondorf waited until Ravio was out of earshot before he said what had been on his mind since the night before. “I think we should try to get out of here.”

Link frowned at the suggestion. “We can’t. The woods lead us back, and your magic isn’t enough.”

“Remember that time in the Fortress?” Ganondorf asked. “After that King Dodongo business--when we got you new boots?”

Link raised a hand to the necklaces hanging around his neck. “Time magic?” he said, and Ganondorf nodded. “I don’t understand. How is that supposed to help?”

“You warped my time magic when you got close,” Ganondorf reminded him. “It’s because of the blood you carry. And I think we’re agreed this place--this trap--is somewhere stuck in time. With your knack for messing things up, and the combined power of these Triforce pieces the Goddesses kindly handed to us…” 

“You can warp the trap,” Link finished. “Maybe even break through it.”

“You got it,” Ganondorf said, nodding. His face turned somber the next second. “We may only get one shot at this, and the window may be small. We have to be ready to move.”

“When do you think is the best time?” Link asked.

“At twilight,” Ganondorf answered at once. “That’s when the various realms that make up our world are at their closest together. If we’re going to break out of here, it’ll be best to do it when the walls are at their thinnest. So what do you say?”

Link’s answer was immediate. “Let’s try it.”

Ravio was told as little as possible to protect him from dashed hopes in case the plan fell through. Link told him only that they were going to try and go home. It was a very small chance, but it was better to know they had tried everything rather than nothing. Ravio agreed.

Link wanted no surprises, so he strapped on his short sword, his bow and quiver, the Master Sword, and his shield. Rusl’s sword was given to Ganondorf to put inside the Gerudo’s magical wallet; it held everything the horses’ saddlebags once had. Ravio mimicked Link somewhat by wearing his own bow and arrow while his practice sword went into the wallet as well. 

With everything packed, they walked together to the field behind the apple orchard--a hotbed for magic, as Ganondorf had put it. Ravio was told to stay close to Link’s right side. He had to be ready to move at a moment’s notice. Ganondorf stood on Link’s left side, and under his instruction they raised the hands marked with the Triforce pieces. 

“I’m going to start now,” Ganondorf said as the yellow-grey light of twilight began to fall over the field. “It will be a mix of time magic and my own sorcery. All I want you to do is concentrate hard on the power of your Triforce piece. Your lineage will do the rest.”

“Got it,” Link said with a determined nod. He flexed his fingers and took hold of Ravio’s hand with his free one. 

Ganondorf began to mutter under his breath, and Link at once concentrated on the back of his left hand. His Triforce piece sputtered to life and blazed alongside Ganondorf’s. The air around their raised hands shimmered as if under a hot sun. Within a minute, a slit of vertical light was glimmering in mid-air. It reminded Link of the barrier between air and water. Sound and smells petered through the slit. Link’s heart fluttered at the familiar scent of Hyrule Field. He could never forget the bright grass and pure air.

Ganondorf swung his free arm up and drew it back. A black arrow appeared as if nocked on a bow. The point was directed at the slit. The sight of the magic sent a shiver up Link’s spine, and his Triforce piece flickered; the magic waned.

“Steady!” Ganondorf snapped. 

Link refocused, and the magic strengthened again. The arrow was sparking with dark bolts of energy. When it has almost lost its shape, Ganondorf set it loose. A flash of light marked the point where it struck the slit, and the slit widened. Ganondorf reached out with both hands and forced it open like a curtain, only with far more of a struggle. Crackling and snapping the air, the slit widened enough to accommodate even the Gerudo’s wide shoulders. A familiar white castle shimmered just beyond.

_“Now!”_ Ganondorf commanded. He grabbed Link’s hand, and Link tightened his grip on Ravio. They barreled at the slit in time with Ganondorf in the lead, but he no sooner had his head through did a burst of power send all three of them rolling back with various cries of surprise. Link hit the ground hard and bit his tongue while Ravio rolled further back, relatively unharmed. Ganondorf took the knockback the easiest. He was already on his feet by the time Link’s head had stopped swimming. 

The slit was gone, and the air was still again. Against the twilight, two brighter lights reigned over the field. One was a blood-like crimson, while the other was the dark green of a field. A woman stood within each light; in fact, they gave off the glows. 

Ganondorf dropped back to the ground on his knees. He lowered his forehead to the grass and spoke a chain of prayers. Link, only now raising his head, took in the two women with wide eyes. It couldn’t be…

**“Such little fools,”** the woman in red spoke in a voice that drilled into its listeners’ ears. Her arms were crossed, and a hammer hung from one of her hands.

**_“That is not the way things must go,”_** the woman in green added. She wore a round shield on her back.

Link’s hand fumbled for the sword on his back. He drew it and, with a scream, gained his feet and ran at the two women. He was blasted back by an unseen power before he could draw within ten feet of them. No sooner did he roll to a stop did he gain his feet and charge again. Ravio cried out when Link was blasted back a second time, harder. When he stood up, his arm hung strangely. He charged a third time, but Ganondorf tackled his legs and dragged him to the ground.

_“No! NO! Let me go!”_ Link spat out curses in a mix of languages while he clawed at the ground and tried to kick his legs free from Ganondorf’s grip. For once, he longed for the power and rage that had overtaken him in the past, but it was nowhere to be found. The curse no longer gave his rage a physical form. Now, the one time he wanted to just let go and--

**“As I’ve said before, he would not have been my first choice for a hero, Farore,”** the woman in red said.

**_“He was good enough at the time, Din,”_** the woman in green returned.

**“I’ll be winning this time,”** Din went on to say.

Farore smiled thinly. **_“We will see.”_**

Link got a leg free and used his good arm to scramble half-to his feet. A sharp kick of power snapped his head back and crumpled him against the ground. He lay there, breathing hard and barely conscious. Ravio ran to him and knelt by his side with concern in the hands that pressed against Link’s cheeks.

**“I was a little too rough there,”** Din remarked with laughter in her unnatural voice.

**_“You forget how frail they are,”_** Farore chided.

**“Not mine,”** Din countered, and she turned her attention to Ganondorf. **“Gerudo! Why do you avert your eyes?”**

**_“Don’t you recall, Din?”_** Farore spoke up. **_“Generations upon generations the Gerudo kings have been the source of Demise’s darkness, but this one actually grew a conscience of his own."_**

**“What a little fool,”** Din said. **“He has the power of the Goddesses in his hand, but he doesn’t have the courage to meet our eyes. No wonder the Triforce split.”**

**_“Gerudo!”_** Farore called too, and she extended an emerald hand. **_“Don’t you want to meet the Goddesses you worship so much?”_**

Ganondorf sucked in a deep breath and, with noted difficulty, turned his attention from the biting voices and welcoming hand. His knees dropped again, only by Link’s side this time. He popped the Regn Hylian’s arm back in, and soothed away the pain that was voiced. 

**“Enough games now,”** Din spoke up. 

**_“We must speak of things,”_** Farore added.

Their voices hit harder than before. Ravio whimpered and put his hands over his mismatched ears--not that it helped. Link sat up and made as if to lunge at the Goddesses once more, but Ganondorf’s arm around his stomach stopped him. 

“Ravio,” Ganondorf said over Link’s renewed curses. “Go back to the house. Go on, we’ll be all right.”

Ravio sniffled and blinked away tears, but did as he was told. Ganondorf watched him run into the orchard, and he continued to stare at the twisted apple trees while Link strained against his grip, and the Goddesses laid out their expectations. 

**“Hyrule is in danger of dying once more.”**

**_“Soon the faith of the people will dry up, and we won’t have to power to sustain them.”_ **

**“It’s simple: One of you dies. That’s all.”**

**_“The other will be able to leave and live the rest of his life. That’s all.”_ **

“That’s all?” Link repeated, wide-eyed. “You expect one of us to kill the other?”

**“Not necessarily,”** Din replied in a stung voice.

**_“Ghirahim offers to do it for you,”_** Farore explained, and on his cue Ghirahim appeared in a flash of diamond light to bow low before the Goddesses.

**“And if you won’t choose--”**

**_“--he will.”_ **

Link shrunk back against Ganondorf when Ghirahim turned a hungry eye on him.

**“You have one month,”** Din stated.

**_“Or Hyrule will die instead,”_** Farore finished.

The Goddesses vanished, but Ghirahim remained. He watched Ganondorf and Link gain their feet before he approached with a chilling smile on his face. “Master Ganondorf, shall I take care of him now for you?” When he was ignored, he vanished and reappeared in front of the two men. His thin hands snagged hold of Link and dragged him away. Link’s hand went for his short blade, but Ghirahim was faster, and he knocked the weapon away. Link lunged next, and Ghirahim tripped him. He dropped down on top of the Hylian’s back with a laugh.

“It will be easy, Master!” Ghirahim cried as if in joy, and he raised a thin black sword in his hand. Link looked over his shoulder with wide eyes. “All I need to do is snuff out his life, then we can move on to Hyrule and conquer--” Ghirahim cut off into a hiss of pain when a blur flew past his right arm. A line of blood was left behind. Ghirahim lifted the injured arm with an expression that suggested the scratch was as much an insult as a knife to the gut.

Link looked to his right and saw an arrow stuck in the ground, quivering. A second one joined it, missing Ghirahim along the way. He gained his feet with a growl nonetheless and searched for the source of the attack.

Ganondorf had already found it: the upper limb of a practice bow peeking out from behind an apple tree. He whipped a hand in a quick shield spell, but Ghirahim was again faster. He was at the apple tree before the first motion of Ganondorf’s magic could be completed. Ravio screamed, and the sound was cut off almost at once. His neck vanished behind Ghirahim’s hands.

Link scrambled to his feet. _“Ravio--!”_ A clap of thunder cut him off, and he jerked his eyes up to the sky along with everyone else. It was as clear as ever, but the thunder came on strong a second time. 

Ghirahim scowled at the sky, spat a curse, and vanished, leaving Ravio behind to cough and gasp. Link put aside the strange phenomena to run to the boy’s side. Ravio was crying by now--great hiccups of sobs--but Link drew him into his arms and soothed away the worst of his fear.

Ganondorf joined them with frequent glances up. “Which one do you think scared Ghirahim off with that thunder?” 

“I don’t care,” Link snapped. He stroked Ravio’s dark hair and shushed his crying. “Neither of them are on any of our sides. They don’t care about us, Gan. They just don’t want to vanish. That’s all this is about. Hyrule would be fine without the likes of them, but they can’t survive without faith. Well I say let them rot. I’m not killing you.”

For once, Ganondorf didn’t chide Link for his blasphemy. “I hear you,” he said in a soothing voice, and some of the tension left Link’s shoulders. “Let’s get the little rabbit back and into bed.”

Ravio didn’t want to sleep alone after the harrowing brush with Ghirahim. He clung to Link until the Regn Hylian agreed to sleep in his bed all night--not that he needed much convincing. Ganondorf made a big fuss about sleeping alone in the dark, but it was all to put Ravio in a better mood, and it worked. He needed only one and a half stories before he was softly snoring. 

Link slept fitfully; half out of concern for Ravio, and half out of his worry over the ultimatum hanging over himself and Ganondorf. He managed an hour’s solid sleep before Ravio was up, full of energy. Link pushed aside his exhaustion to get the boy’s bath ready. Once Ravio was submerged and doing his best to splash out all of the water, Link withdrew to his and Ganondorf’s bedroom where he found Ganondorf smoking in bed. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” Ganondorf asked, and Link shook his head as he dropped down onto the bed. “Me neither.”

Link yawned as if to underline the point. “Hey,” he said, and Ganondorf raised his eyebrows. “Can you promise me something?”

“Depends,” Ganondorf answered around a mouthful of smoke.

“I think you’ll agree,” Link said with a thin smile. “If something was to happen to me, would you take care of Ravio?”

“First of all,” Ganondorf began, and Link rolled his eyes at the defensive tone, “there’s nothing that says anything’s going to happen to you. Second of all, of course I would. Third of all, nothing’s going to happen to you.”

“It was me Ghirahim went after,” Link reminded him.

“And you can hold your own when you’re not bound by an oath of silence or knocked around by a pair of Goddesses,” Ganondorf pointed out. “I’m not worried about you. So yeah, I promise--not that it’s going to be necessary. Now, a promise for a promise.”

Link waited, dreading Ganondorf’s next words. He wasn’t disappointed.

“If we’re both still alive at the end of this month, I want you to let me take the fall.”

Link at once answered, “No.”

“Little fish--”

“Don’t you dare use that on me. You think I’m going to let you die without doing my best to stop it? Absolutely not. I thought you would have learned better by now.”

“So long as ‘your best’ doesn’t mean you run yourself on a sword, fine,” Ganondorf said in a weary tone. 

Link got up from the bed and stalked out of the room without any further remarks. His attitude soured over the morning. He buried himself in another writing lesson with Ravio, pointedly ignoring Ganondorf’s input, only to vanish at lunchtime. Ganondorf didn’t have the patience to deal with Link’s sulking. He retreated to a courtyard to meditate for an hour while Ravio tried to catch the small fish in the stream that ran through it. 

Link rejoined them at dinner. With barely a sound he sidled up beside Ganondorf and took up a knife to cut vegetables for the evening’s meal. “Sorry,” he murmured behind the sounds of the knives. 

“Apology accepted,” Ganondorf returned. The tension broke between them, and dinner passed with ease. Link smiled and laughed at Ravio’s tales of his fishing attempts, and playfully asked why Ganondorf hadn’t shown off his amazing fishing skills. Link got a piece of carrot flung into his face for that, which he caught and ate with a triumphant look. Ravio laughed until he was breathless. After dinner came an hour’s stargazing, which was still a sight despite the fact that the sky never changed. Link volunteered to carry the half-asleep Ravio to bed where he told him a story and spent a while longer watching him sleep. 

“There you are,” Ganondorf greeted when Link finally came into the bedroom. “I thought maybe you fell asleep in there.” He closed the book he was rereading for a fifth time and dropped it to the floor before stretching to turn down the lamp. Near-darkness fell over the room, and the bed dipped with Link’s weight. His lips fell against Ganondorf’s seconds later.

“Not sleepy,” Link whispered. “Far from it.” He guided Ganondorf’s hand between his legs to prove his point. “You?”

“Fuck no,” Ganondorf breathed. 

“I don’t believe you,” Link teased with a bite to Ganondorf’s lower lip.

Ganondorf convinced him. His lust was blinding. He failed to notice it was a little too easy to slip past all of Link’s barriers. The signal to stop was never spoken, and Ganondorf was balls-deep in Link by the time he realized it. But by then the Hylian was begging him not to stop, and the misgiving was lost under the carnal pleasure.

In the warm afterglow, Ganondorf let his eyes slip half-closed as he watched Link sit up on the edge of the bed. A line of blood slipped down his scarred back from his right shoulder. Ganondorf rolled over and licked half of it off, pressed a kiss to Link’s flushed skin, and before dropped to his stomach against the bed. “Let’s go again.”

Link chuckled softly and stood up with a groan. “I’m going to wash up,” he said. Ganondorf murmured an answer and closed his eyes. Link was able to slip out of the room without further delay. He took with him a pair of slacks, which he hobbled into before making his way downstairs to the foyer. 

The hole in the floor looked little different from the Hero of Time’s memories. Ganondorf had thrown a piece of wood over it recently--not that it was necessary. The group avoided the hazard well enough. Only this time Link walked up to it and sat down on its edge. His feet hung down in the cold darkness. A tear dropped onto his left knee.

“It’s my turn to be the protector,” Link whispered. “I’m sorry,” he added after a second’s thought, knowing it would never reach anyone’s ears, and he slid over the edge to drop feet-first into the dark water far below.


	13. Bad Taste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battle draws near.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Goddess's text in this chapter isn't formatted like her sisters' for a reason, not because I'm lazy with formatting haha
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please enjoy this chapter! The story is nearing its end...

# Undertow

### Chapter Twelve: Bad Taste

That horrid dream again. Ganondorf felt the cold stone lip under his feet, but refused to open his eyes to confirm what he knew. He changed his mind when a familiar scent hit his nose. His eyes snapped open, and he looked down into the massive fountain to find it filled to the brim. Crimson lapped at Ganondorf’s bare feet and spilled over to drip down the fountain’s side. It was a sea of blood; and within it, floating face-down, was Link.

Ganondorf snapped awake with the taste of blood in his mouth. Wait. How…?

The memory came back to him, and Ganondorf blinked away the fog in his eyes to find Link’s side of the bed empty. Additionally, the Triforce of Power was awake and gleaming on the back of his hand. The glow looked almost alarmed. 

Ganondorf snapped to his feet and tossed out a bit of sorcery as he shouldered his way through the bedroom door. It directed him down, and he cursed before thundering downstairs, calling Link’s name.

Link couldn’t hear him. He was deep down in the murky, flooded basement, doing his best to cut his ties to the living world once and for all. The Triforce of Courage shined a golden light around him, and within its glow he found it hard to draw the water into his lungs. The Triforce drew his attention, and washed away the doubts and grief he had felt only minutes earlier. He floated weightless in the depths with no idea of up or down, his eyes fixed on his radiating hand. It reminded him of swimming in Lake Helvus, and of diving into the Zora swimming holes. 

But it couldn’t last. Even without drawing in water, the air in Link’s lungs wouldn’t keep him alive for too much longer. He felt the familiar panic in his chest growing, and he tore his eyes away from the Triforce to lean his head back and wait.

In the Triforce’s glow, a wall was revealed beneath the water. Something on it caught Link’s eye. He frowned, twisted, and swam towards it. The features of a monster came into view, but Link had used the last of his air in reaching the wall, and the image fell behind a curtain of darkness. 

The Triforce of Courage guttered out, but Ganondorf had already seen it, and he used his magic to propel himself through the water to the point where it had once flickered. His sorcery told him he was on the right track, and soon his hands fell around a limp form. He dragged it back to the hole in the ceiling and rose through it with Link tucked tight against his chest. They touched down on solid ground in a splatter of water.

Link wasn’t breathing. Ganondorf spread him out on the floor and tried his magic more than once, but it had no effect on the still chest. He cursed and tried a different spell, also to no effect. His trembling hands ran over Link’s chest as if the touch would bring the life back into him.

“You promised,” Ganondorf whispered. His face contorted with rage, and he closed his eyes as his anger boiled over in him. _“You promised! It’s me! It’s supposed to be me! That was the deal!”_

Link coughed once, and Ganondorf at once refocused on him. He tried his sorcery again, and this time it worked. Link rolled over and emptied his lungs of the water that had collected in them. He coughed and vomited until he could breathe clear again, although with a noticeable rasp. The rasp turned to soft sobs, followed by a cry of rage when Link turned and shoved at Ganondorf with both hands.

 _“Phyick idiosta!”_ There were angry tears against his wet cheeks. _“I almost saved you! You and Ravio both! All you had to do was let me die!”_

Ganondorf slapped Link hard. It took all of his power not to do more. He lowered his hand to the floor, and it clenched by his folded knee. “Don’t you ever do something like that again. And don’t you ever manipulate me like you did. We have one month to figure things out, and we will, so don’t get any more _phyick_ ideas!”

“You should have just let me die,” Link repeated with a glare fixed on Ganondorf’s hard face. 

Ganondorf flicked his hand, and Link flinched. A barrier shimmered over the hole in the floor. “If I have to, I will lock you up in chains for the month,” he promised Link before reiterating, “Don’t get anymore fucking ideas.” Ganondorf stood up, dried himself off with a spell, and stalked away.

Link was left to shiver in his damp skin until he worked up the energy to stand and walk upstairs. By the time he had dried off and changed, Ganondorf was in bed once more. When Link made to crawl in beside him, Ganondorf snapped, “There’s a spare bedroom.”

“I want to sleep in here with you.”

“I don’t want you in here.”

“Gan… Gan, I’m sor--”

“Get out, Link.”

“I just--”

_“Leave!”_

The walls and floor shook briefly, and Link staggered back from the bed. He waited for another blow to complement the one that still radiated pain on his cheek. When the room stilled, he turned and left it for the third bedroom. In there, he had only the cold steel of the Master Sword to keep him company while he twisted and turned through the rest of the night.

#

The water that had sat in Link’s lungs and stomach left behind something that knocked him off his feet with fever for a week. It never rose high enough to pose a threat, but it was enough that Ganondorf was forced to take care of him lest he make himself worse. The Gerudo spoke very little to Link during these times--only necessary commands or answers--but he listened when Link muttered half-delirious apologies for his behavior. 

Ravio didn’t know what the problem was between Ganondorf and Link, but he could tell something was off. He dropped not-so-subtle hints to Ganondorf that he needed to make up with Link. It should have irritated the Gerudo, but Ravio was neutral ground. He was the bridge between the two men. Not wanting to disappoint him, Ganondorf did his best to look past Link’s poor judgment to the good intentions beneath them. He remembered how he had messed up far worse under his own best intentions, putting Link’s life at risk along with many of those in Hyrule. However hurtful Link’s transgressions were, they couldn’t meet Ganondorf’s. 

With these thoughts in mind, Ganondorf dropped a hand onto Link’s sweaty forehead, and the Hylian’s eyes fluttered open. “Your fever’s breaking.” He followed up the hand with a cool cloth over Link’s face, neck, and chest. “You’ll be up and back to being a pain in the ass again in no time.”

“Are you… talking to me?” Link asked in a weak voice. His hand reached up for the dark wrist passing over his nose. It pulled away, and a pair of lips pressed a prayer against his bangs. 

“I’ll get you some lunch,” Ganondorf said before getting off the bed.

“Oh boy,” Link murmured. “Veggie stew… again.” His eyes closed, and he sank deeper into his pillow with a sigh.

Ravio was hanging by the bedroom door. When Ganondorf left the room, the boy giggled and scampered off. He was obviously pleased with the turn of Ganondorf’s mood. Ganondorf listened fondly to his feet pattering down the stairs, followed by the clap of the front door seconds later. 

Outside, Ravio rolled into the grass and lay with his back against the warm ground. He soaked in the sun until a grasshopper kicked over him, and he rolled onto his stomach to catch it. His hands fell around nothing; the grasshopper was another jump away. Ravio pushed himself onto his feet and gave chase.

With an eager boy on its heels, the grasshopper jumped erratically until the shadows of the wood swallowed it. Ravio stopped at the edge of the shadows and watched the grasshopper get away. He had been warned against the woods. Behind him, he heard the telltale buzz of another grasshopper he could try and catch. He made to turn his head, but a pale hand emerged from the shadows in front of him with a grasshopper sitting in it.

“Is this what you’re looking for?” Ghirahim asked with a smile on his cracked face.

Ravio staggered back and made to run, but the hood of his rabbit costume was caught by Ghirahim. He struggled and heard a rip, which made him pause. Ghirahim tugged him backwards against his thin chest.

“Look, here you go,” Ghirahim said in a bright voice. He forced one of Ravio’s shaking hands up and deposited the grasshopper in it. “Now it won’t jump away.”

The grasshopper was missing its head. A leg twitched against Ravio’s palm, and he voiced a wail that was quickly silenced by Ghirahim’s hand over his mouth.

“Easy, easy, I won’t hurt you,” Ghirahim promised with a grin. Ravio kicked his feet and pushed at the thin chest, but Ghirahim’s grip was ironclad. The boy quickly learned there was no escape, and he hung in Ghirahim’s arms with tears coursing down his face. “Much better,” Ghirahim praised. “Now unless you want to end up like your little friend, I suggest you listen to me very closely.”

Ravio at once shook his head and resumed his struggling with newfound strength. A painful twist of his arm stopped him.

“I can do a lot to you without killing you, child, so listen and behave,” Ghirahim said. His voice was no longer cheerful. “I only want information. You will give me this information, or you can watch while I rip both of your guardians into little itty-bitty pieces that I will then shove down your throat.”

The threat stilled Ravio for good. Only his chest moved as he worked for breaths around his panic. But when Ghirahim asked his questions, Ravio’s tongue found motivation to move as well.

#

A nose pressed into Ganondorf’s thigh, and small hands clenched at his pants leg. He looked down from spooning soup into a bowl to find Ravio fighting back tears. His shoulders hitched with the effort, and snot worked on building up a damp spot in the pants fabric.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Ganondorf asked. He put down the bowl and ladle, crouched, and took hold of Ravio’s shaking shoulders. “What is it? What’s got you all upset?”

“I… I can’t say!” Ravio cried. He raised the oversized sleeves of his costume and covered his face. Muffled sobs worked through the sleeves. In his efforts to convince Ravio to show his face, Ganondorf noticed a long tear in the costume’s hood. 

“Hey, how did this happen?” Ganondorf poked his fingers through the tear, and Ravio lifted his head. “Want me to fix it? Watch this.” He passed his other hand over the tear a few times, and the tear mended itself. “Neat, _neh?”_ Ravio agreed with a shaky nod. “Now that’s taken care of, so why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

But Ravio shook his head this time and covered his face again. “I can’t say,” he whispered. “He’ll know.”

Ganondorf felt the first inkling of unease work down his spine. “Who will know?” Ravio shook his head again, and Ganondorf guessed, “It’s not Link, I bet.”

“No,” Ravio barely answered. He glanced over his shoulder, chewed on his bottom lip, and turned forward again. His hands reached out to lift one of Ganondorf’s palms to his forehead. “I can’t _say,”_ Ravio repeated.

Either a spell or a threat was keeping Ravio’s lips closed, but Ganondorf had to admire him for wanting to work around it. “I’ll just be a minute,” Ganondorf promised before he began to flip through Ravio’s more recent memories. It didn’t take him long to find what was so upsetting. The boy’s fear at the time was almost overwhelming. It twisted Ganondorf’s stomach, and he had to fight back the urge to vomit. He forced himself to concentrate on what Ghirahim had asked, and his nausea abated some. In its place, coldness crept in. 

Ganondorf did something Nabooru had warned him to do only under the most extreme circumstances: he wiped Ravio’s mind clean of the memories. It was easy; they were still fresh, and Ravio was already subconsciously working to suppress them. They didn’t vanish entirely. Instead, they migrated to Ganondorf’s mind. No one else needed to know about them. He had made his decision long before they had come to the house.

Ravio was at once back in a happy mood the moment Ganondorf’s hand left his forehead. He asked if they could have lunch with Link in the bedroom, and Ganondorf agreed. They carried the soup bowls upstairs on a tray, and Ravio jumped onto the bed the moment the door was opened. Not even Link noticed the boy had once been in a poor state, and he ate his soup with no complaint, thus securing two victories for Ganondorf that morning.

#

Link was on his feet by the next morning, and he spent the next few days getting back into daily sword and archery practice. Ravio joined him most of the time, and his aim began to improve with the bow. His swordplay lagged more, but Link reassured him that he would get better with more practice. 

“Then I can protect you better than before!” Ravio declared with a determined look, and he struck as fierce a pose as he could manage with his bow. “That _idiosta_ Ghirahim won’t hurt you again, I’ll make sure of it!”

Link laughed at the use of Gerudian. “All right, if you say so. But it’s easier if we just stay away from him instead. How’s that?”

Ravio huffed and kicked at a patch of grass. “O-kay,” he said, drawing out the word. “But if we stay away, I can’t prove that I’m a hero like you.”

“Rav, you likely saved my life the other day,” Link reminded him. Ravio didn’t look convinced, leaving Link lost for something to say. He decided to act instead. “Wait here, okay? I’ll be right back.”

Link jogged back to the house and disappeared into it. He returned promptly as promised with a sword in his hand. A _real_ sword. Ravio looked at its sheath with wide eyes when Link knelt in front of him. 

“This was my master’s blade,” Link explained. “A while after he died, his wife gave me the sword to keep so long as I promised to use it to protect others, like my master died protecting me.” Link turned the sword’s hilt towards Ravio. “If you’re determined to protect others, then I grant you this sword to aid you in your quest.”

“But…” Ravio’s hands twisted themselves into his costume. “But you said I’m not ready for a real sword for a while.”

“You’re not,” Link agreed. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t carry this blade now. It will give you something to work towards.”

Ravio swallowed and disentangled his hands. They shook when he accepted the blade, and he hugged it to his chest in fear of dropping it. Link chuckled and kissed his head. “Let’s get in a bit more practice before we switch over to writing.”

“Yeah,” Ravio agreed, smiling. He placed Rusl’s blade gently on the ground and picked up his practice sword. Link drew the Master Sword from his back, and its glow lit up Ravio’s cheeks. “I like your master’s sword better,” the boy remarked.

Link spun the blade in his hand, feeling its weight move fluidly in his grip. Even so, a different weight pulled on it. “Yeah, me too,” Link agreed in a quiet voice.

#

It was dark, and both Link and Ravio were already in bed. They were unaware that Ganondorf walked the edge of the orchard, waiting. His patience was rewarded when a pale form walked out of the trees and bowed low before him. 

“Master, I am pleased to find--”

“You don’t have to go through the boy to get the information you want,” Ganondorf at once snapped out. Ghirahim faltered, and his face stiffened with annoyance. “If you want to know something about me, then ask me up front.”

“It wasn’t only you I was interested in, Master,” Ghirahim explained in a stiff tone. “I was gauging the nature of your… relationship with the sky chi--the hero.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Ganondorf spat. “What happens between us stays between us. All you care about is whether or not I win this little battle of destiny. Isn’t that right?” 

“Yes, of course Master,” Ghirahim answered with a hint of sarcasm. “I would also prefer for you to die a noble death so that your spirit may move on to a more willing vessel, but there is always the chance the next one will be even worse than you.”

Ganondorf smiled thinly. “Ah, so we agree on something.”

Ghirahim’s head jerked up. “Master… Master you can’t be serious--”

“What will happen, will,” Ganondorf interrupted. “And none of your meddling is appreciated or needed. Stay away from the boy, or there will be consequences.”

“You have yet to carry out any of your threats against me, Master--” Ghirahim began, only to be cut off when Ganondorf moved with supernatural speed. A hand enveloped in black sorcery grabbed the pale man by the neck and squeezed until the crack on his face spread down to his chest.

Ganondorf eyed the crack with twisted admiration. “Just because I haven’t carried them out doesn’t mean I’m incapable,” he said. He shoved Ghirahim away, and the man stumbled to his knees. “Go back to being the Goddesses’ lapdog. I don’t need or want you around.”

Ghirahim gained his feet and whirled on Ganondorf with a glare, but he didn’t attack. His departing bow was stiff. “As you command, Master,” he said before vanishing.

Ganondorf took his time walking back to the house. The sorcery refused to leave his arm for several minutes, and he wondered if the Triforce of Power was speaking to the memories of his past lives; drawing on their rage and making him lose control as a result. His magic didn’t want to be commanded anymore. It wanted to be set loose. But he was still in control of himself, and he coaxed the power away with enough effort. 

Outside Link’s bedroom door, Ganondorf paused for a moment to consider it. The door wasn’t locked, and he slipped into the bedroom. Link was asleep--maybe. Ganondorf didn’t care. He simply didn’t want to sleep alone tonight. He dropped down onto the empty side of the bed, rolled onto his side, and wrapped an arm around Link’s slighter form. 

Link gasped, struggled out from under Ganondorf’s arm, and sat up. He fired off a question in Sheikan before awareness came back into his eyes. He looked down at Ganondorf and released a shaky breath before covering his face. “I was dreaming about fighting you,” he whispered.

“Sorry…” Ganondorf began. Link waved off the rest of the apology. “You want to tell me about it?”

“If you talk of your dreams, they may come true,” Link warned. “That’s what the Sheikah taught me.” He lay down and gently bullied Ganondorf to roll onto his back so that he could lay his head on the Gerudo’s chest. His eyes closed to the sound of the strong heartbeat. It had stopped in his dream.

“Do you ever have any good dreams?” Ganondorf asked. 

“Mmmm…” Link thought for a bit. “Once, when I was small, I dreamt about eating a really big fish. It flopped around in my stomach and dragged me back into the river where I had caught it, and it swam back out of my mouth.”

Ganondorf laughed. “That’s a good dream?”

“It was funny,” Link defended, and Ganondorf chuckled. “What about you?”

“Ah, well… Now that I’m actually able to sleep again, I dream about Nabooru a lot. Those are always good ones.” He stretched his arms and folded them behind his head. “Soon they won’t be just dreams. We’ll be home again, and she’ll fall right back into pushing me around.” He waited for Link to laugh, but not even a smile came. “Soon we’ll be home,” Ganondorf reiterated.

#

The last two weeks hung over the group’s head like a guillotine, although Ravio was largely unaware of the mounting pressure. He remained as cheerful and curious as before. He was soon caught up to his reading and writing for his relative age, and he began to fill page after page in his journal. He wrote of his daily thoughts and dreams, as well as any discoveries he made in the ruins of the house.

Link had discoveries on his mind as well. The image of the monster in the flooded basement stuck with him. But with the basement now cordoned off, he could only draw on the memories in his head. Those included the Hero of Time’s, but reaching them was another story. Link still hadn’t found the way to drop into the deep meditations he had accomplished before.

Ganondorf meditated too, and he urged Link to keep trying. But after a week of unsuccessful attempts, Link began to lose hope. That’s when Ganondorf suggested he try to replicate everything he had done before the deeper meditations.

Link didn’t want to replicate everything; he certainly didn’t want to get into another fight with Ganondorf, or fall back into the well. But that night he bathed right before getting into bed; he even had Ganondorf give him a massage. Sitting in bed a while later, Link slowed his breaths and looked deep into himself.

He felt the air change around him, and he opened his eyes onto the Hero of Time standing in the dry basement of the house. The young man was walking down a dark hall towards the set of stairs at its end. His fairy bobbed ahead, lighting the path with her glow. Instead of following him this time, Link turned his eyes onto the paintings on the walls.

They appeared to depict ancient battles through a variety of times, given the differing armor and locations. Link recognized Hyrulean soldiers of various races. They fought against moblin races and larger monsters. All of the enemy troops were headed by a man who looked Gerudian. Link’s breath caught in his throat when he saw the familiar features. 

He found the monster painting after a short search. It was a boar-like beast that gave off waves of darkness. A golden triangle shined light down on him, feeding his power. People lay dead on blackened ground at his hoofed feet. 

To the right of the painting, the image of a Hyrulean princess shined in bright contrast. She bore such a strong resemblance to Zelda that Link’s heart panged at the sight of her. Between her hands she held a glowing triangle like one might hold a foreteller’s crystal ball. Golden light shined out from behind her head like a nimbus.

To the monster painting’s left, a warrior clad in green stood with a blade in hand, and a Hylian shield on his arm. The hand that held the sword shined with golden light that radiated from a triangle hovering over it. The green clothes were the same as the Hero of Time’s, and the blade shined with a white light that was now familiar to Link.

A deep laugh traveled down the dark hall to Link’s ears, and he jerked at the sound of a cry of pain. He ran towards the sound, driven by an instinctual desire to help. The stairs winded up to a separate, gated-off gallery. Link hurdled a banister and came to a stop atop a set of floor tiles arranged into the Triforce. What he saw drew a scream from his throat that carried over into the real world. 

Ganondorf jerked awake at the sound in time to see Link flee the bedroom. The Gerudo was slower to gain his feet, but Link hadn’t gone far. He was huddled against the hallway wall. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. 

“I don’t want to meditate anymore,” Link whispered. “Please don’t make me.”

“If you don’t want to, it’s no problem,” Ganondorf assured him. “I only thought it would help.”

Link choked out a laugh that quickly died. “I’m fine,” he said to Ganondorf’s worried face. “I’m just going to sit out here a bit. Go back to bed.”

Ganondorf withdrew from the hall, and when Link reentered the bedroom a half-hour later it was to find the Gerudo deep in sleep. He slipped in next to him, but hardly slept himself that night.

#

Ganondorf sat outside the next evening while inside the house Link got Ravio ready for bed. They had spent another day pretending the Goddesses’ deadline didn’t exist, and to Ganondorf’s credit he had hid what he knew well.

He had looked into Link’s mind last night after the Hylian had returned to bed. He had seen what Link had seen, and it had chilled him as well--but in a different way. A part of him _liked_ what he had seen, and that was what sent a shiver down his spine. 

Ganondorf realized the choice he had been waiting for was before him. He could fight his fate, or he could accept it. Either way it would come over him, and both Link and Ravio--and by extension, Hyrule--would be in danger. Neither choice was good, but one of them could have a better outcome. It depended on Link’s ability to do his job. Friendly ties would make that job harder. Link had to see him as the enemy, and nothing else.

But still Ganondorf hesitated, and when Link walked outside to join him after Ravio was in bed, he fell back into the familiar, warm glow of their companionship. They talked for a while with the deadline ever-present behind their words. Link grew tired first, and he announced he was heading to bed. Ganondorf could tell he was still shook up from his meditation the night before. He was dreading falling asleep.

“It’ll be okay,” Ganondorf said as Link walked into the house. Link nodded, and the door closed behind him. Too late, Ganondorf wished he had said more, or insisted that Link stay with him a little longer. He closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. Two more followed it, but still the nervous ache in his chest persisted. He had to smile to himself. So this was why courage didn’t suit him. But he had agreed. 

Ganondorf thought back on that day despite not wanting to. It had been a cold one. He could remember the blood in the snow marking his steps back to camp. Link hung on the cusp of death in his arms, in a body littered with stab wounds. Ghirahim’s work; he had done it well. A half hour’s worth of effort told Ganondorf he couldn’t reverse the damage. All of his efforts and sorcery failed, and soon the one spell keeping Link alive would finish what Ghirahim had started. With no hope left, Ganondorf fell back to his childhood teachings. He prayed to the Goddesses for a miracle.

Only one of them answered. A blue light pulled Ganondorf’s head out of its solemn bow, and he stared across Link at the blindfolded woman who sat on his other side. She was giving off the glow. Ganondorf at once dropped his eyes as a feeling like burning ice filled his chest. This wasn’t… It couldn’t be--

“They underestimated you,” Nayru remarked in an even voice. 

“I…” Ganondorf didn’t know what to say. How should he respond? How did one speak to a Goddess?

“You don’t need to speak,” Nayru answered. She hadn’t read his mind; only his face. “I need only one answer from you, but I imagine you want many more. Princess Zelda sent me.”

Ganondorf jerked, and he managed to raise his eyes to Nayru’s shoulders. “Princess Zelda?”

“She has the gift of premonition, passed down through her line since the beginning,” Nayru went on to explain. “She knows what will happen at this journey’s end. She knew it before the two of you left Hyrule. She decided to take action. She prayed just as you did, and I answered.

“A very unfortunate hero this time.” Nayru turned her blinded gaze down at Link. “Even by my sister’s standards, he’s suffered more than most of them. Zelda reminded me of the unfairness of it, and I have agreed to act on her behalf--but only so far. While my sisters may select their pawns for their game, I must remain the impartial judge. Do you understand?”

Ganondorf nodded and asked, “Will you save him?”

“I could,” Nayru answered. “But the scales must balance. If I save him destiny will only resume, and there is no guarantee which one of my sisters will win. I could save him now only to have him die at your hands later. The result of that upset will be thousands of lives in Hyrule. Is that what you want?”

Ganondorf shook his head and thought on the words. “What if I offer my life to keep the scales in balance?”

“I can’t accept any direct payment,” Nayru replied. “However, if you promise to take the fall when the time comes, I will save him.”

“I’ll die right now,” Ganondorf offered, but Nayru shook her head.

“Unacceptable. My sisters wouldn’t allow it. There must be a battle to decide Hyrule’s fate--to keep the faith going. It is tradition.”

“But once Link finds out, he’ll just take the fall himself. He’d do that--you know it.”

“Then you must stop him. By bringing him back from death I am pulling strings best left untouched. If he should fall those strings will snap, and your fate will come over you. People will die in droves at your hands.”

Ganondorf watched it play out in his mind, and he closed his eyes against the images. Nayru needed only one answer, she had said. He had always been willing to give it, but when he was actually pressed… He sucked in a deep breath and dug down deep; past all of his previous lives’ crowded memories.

“Please save him,” Ganondorf asked. “I will lose, and he can live a happy life for once with no fate hanging over him.”

Nayru wasted no time. She reached out to lay a hand on Link’s chest. “This discussion never happened,” she told Ganondorf, and he nodded. The next thing to leave her lips was a song. From the very first note, a blue light surrounded Link. It spread from his head to his toes, and shined through his wounds. 

A minute passed before Nayru stopped and frowned. “He’s stubborn,” she remarked almost fondly. She resumed her song, which filled Ganondorf with a feeling like longing. He had a strong desire to listen until he fell asleep, wrapped in the somber notes. 

Link’s body arched a few inches, and Nayru’s hand rose with the motion as if he was a puppet at her fingertips. The blue glow intensified, and after a few seconds he dropped hard. His chest moved with quick, hard breaths. The sound of them dragged Ganondorf out of his growing stupor.

Nayru ceased her song. “He fought hard, so there are scars. But your prayer is answered, Ganondorf.” His name from her lips filled him with warmth. “Remember my warning: If you do not fall, thousands of lives will to keep the scales in check, and this would have been for naught.”

“I understand,” Ganondorf said. 

“He will sleep for a while,” Nayru added. “Divine work is hard on a mortal body.”

Ganondorf nodded. “Thank you,” he added with a deep bow. He straightened up when the blue glow disappeared from around him. His arms wrapped around Link’s warmed body, and he brushed away the mussed bangs. “It’ll be okay, Link. It’ll be okay.”

“It’ll be okay,” Ganondorf repeated in a mutter to his present self. He gained his feet and sucked in a deep breath. He had made his decision while talking to Link. As he had promised, he wouldn’t rob the young man of the happiness he deserved a hundred times over. He had lived fewer years than Ganondorf, but had managed to go through more hardships. 

“Just bear one more, little fish,” Ganondorf said to the empty air. “You’ll manage. You have Ravio, and your friends back home. You’ll be okay. You won’t need me.”

The orchard emerged from the dark, and its fruit gleamed in the moonlight. Ganondorf reached up and plucked one from the first tree he came to. The smooth skin was cold, and just as firm as before. 

Ghirahim was watching from amongst the trees. Ganondorf met his eyes, and the pale man quailed a bit at the warning in them. “You stay away from the boy,” he reiterated. 

“Of course, Master,” Ghirahim promised with a bow. “He is not the problem, after all.”

Ganondorf turned the fruit in his hand. It was blemish-free, but when he dug a fingernail in the black juice oozed out like sap. “Have courage, Link,” Ganondorf prayed before taking a bite.


	14. The Rabbit in the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf loses himself, and Link loses what remains of the fragile new life he has built.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a sad chapter, warning you now. Please enjoy nonetheless, thanks.

# Undertow

### Chapter Thirteen: The Rabbit in the Moon

The staircase beckoned. Link stood at the opposite end of the hall and felt its pull. But he wouldn’t heed it. He refused. He didn’t want to see it again. He closed his eyes and hunkered down with his hands over his ears, just as he had done as a child in his early days at Hyrule Castle, and at his worst moments during his nomadic years. The laugh worked its way through regardless. It rang in his ears, mocking him, while a scream grew behind it.

The scream continued in the real world when Link jerked awake. It was morning, and he was alone in bed. He had been alone before falling asleep as well, but he had chalked it up to Ganondorf’s occasional insomnia. Had the Gerudo ever made it to bed?

The scream pushed the question away. That was Ravio. Link rolled out of bed with a stumble and ran to the boy’s bedroom. The scream died, and Ravio had his face covered by the time Link arrived. Link relaxed when he saw Ravio was unhurt, and he eased himself down onto the bed. His hand squeezed Ravio’s right shoulder.

“It was a bad dream again,” Ravio whispered. He dropped his hands and crawled into Link’s lap where he buried his nose in the Regn Hylian’s shirt. 

“It’s okay,” Link assured him while he rubbed the boy’s back. “Just put it out of your head. It was only a dream.”

“It felt so _real,”_ Ravio insisted. 

“I know,” Link said, thinking of his own. Fortunately, Ravio was more easily distracted from bad thoughts. “Well, now that we’re up we should have some breakfast, hmmm? I think _Faedra_ is downstairs already. Go find him and tell him to get cooking, but wash up first.”

A small giggle bubbled out of Ravio’s throat. “Okay,” he agreed. He slid out of Link’s lap and ran to the washroom down the hall. He returned a minute later and helped Link finish making the bed before he made to slide into his rabbit costume.

“Rav, no,” Link said at once. “That hasn’t been washed in a week. Come on, hand it over.” 

Ravio pouted, but even he couldn’t deny the smudges of dirt and musty odor. He gave the costume to Link, who promised to have it washed and dried by the next morning. Ravio settled for Link’s purple tunic as compensation, which was almost as big on him as the costume. He ran downstairs with its bottom hem flapping around his knees. 

Link grabbed a blue tunic for the day and ducked into the washroom to clean the dried, nervous sweat from his skin. When the stickiness was gone, he raked a comb through his hair and realized for the first time in a while that it had grown more. He pulled all but his sidelocks to the back of his head and discovered he could tie a ponytail off. It wasn’t as long as it used to be--not yet--but it was enough. He returned to the bedroom and dug out an old seashell tie--a gift from a pair of Zora shopkeepers he had met in Hyrule years ago. 

It had been Ganondorf’s wish to see Link grow his hair out again. Link hurried downstairs to show him. He found Ravio instead. The boy looked lost as he wandered room to room.

_“Faedra_ isn’t here,” Ravio said when Link asked him what was wrong. 

“Maybe he’s outside?” Link suggested. 

Ravio grew withdrawn, and he moved closer to Link. “I don’t want to go out there alone.”

“What? Why not?”

“In my dream--”

“Okay.” Link stopped him and offered a hand. “Come on, let’s go together.”

Ravio refused the hand and took a step back. “My dream…” He stopped and shook his head. Tears came to the corners of his eyes. “Why didn’t _Faedra_ come when I woke up? You and him always come to help when I scream. Why didn’t he come this time?”

“Okay, okay.” Link bent down, picked Ravio up, and carried him to a chair. “You wait here, and I’ll go out and find him, all right?”

“But it’s not safe!” Ravio insisted.

“Rav, I’ll be fine,” Link promised him. “I won’t go unarmed, if that makes you feel better. Just wait.” He kissed Ravio’s forehead and hurried back upstairs. When he returned, it was with the Master Sword and his bow and quiver. Ravio’s practice sword was in his hands. “Now you take this,” Link said, and he handed Ravio the wooden sword. “And if _Faedra_ comes in here and isn’t himself, give him a good hit, or you scream as loud as you can and run away.”

“Okay,” Ravio whispered. He hugged the sword against his chest.

Link gave his knee a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry. I know you’re very brave, so you’ll be fine.”

“I’m brave,” Ravio repeated in a whisper as Link walked away. Maybe he was brave, but would bravery be enough? Ravio studied the wooden sword in his hands and noticed a crack running down the side. He hopped off of his chair and ran upstairs.

Link stepped outside in a tense air. He didn’t want to believe Ravio’s fears, but they ate at him all the same. The boy’s dreams had persisted for weeks, and they had been referring to things that Link himself only discovered recently. He was no stranger to persuasive dreams either, so he knew there was a chance Ravio was seeing glimpses of the present or future.

Ganondorf wasn’t in sight on the front lawn, so Link worked his way around the house to the back. His eyes slipped over the remains of the small stable to fix on the orchard. Something lay on the ground by the edge. Link jogged to it and bent over at the waist. It was an apple with a bite taken out of it. Instead of a creamy color the flesh was gray, and the juice was black. Link recognized the bite radius from more than one encounter with Ganondorf’s lust.

Link straightened up and took a step into the orchard. “Gan?” he called as he took his bow into hand. With his other hand hovering over the fletching of his arrows, he walked into the orchard. No one lurked between the trees, but in the field beyond them Ganondorf stood in front of the opened Door of Time.

“Gan!” Link cried. He slung his bow over his chest and ran up to the Gerudo. “Gan, what are you doing out here? Why’s the door here? Come on--” Link tugged on Ganondorf’s arm, but he didn’t move. The unfocused look in his eyes chilled Link. “Gan, what’s wrong with you?”

A bolt of dark magic sparked up Ganondorf’s right arm, and Link backed up with a yell. More of it traveled down the Gerudo’s left leg and across his back. “Link,” Ganondorf said without taking his eyes from the door. “Link. Link.”

“Gan…” Link drew close again despite his misgivings. “Come on, _sant bregeta._ Let’s get out of here.”

“Link…” Ganondorf blinked, and a tear tracked down his cheek. “Run.”

“Run? Gan, what--” Link choked out the next syllable when Ganondorf seized his throat. With seemingly no effort, he tossed Link back. The Hylian rolled hard to a stop and groaned in pain. Ganondorf turned forward again, slowly, twisting at the waist. 

Link pushed to his feet and walked to Ganondorf’s side again with a slight limp. “What are you doing?” Now there was fear tainting the questions. “Did you bite that apple? What did it do to you?”

“You agreed to this, Master, yet still you hesitate?”

Link spun around at the sound of Ghirahim’s voice coming up behind him. The pale man sauntered past with a satisfied grin on his face when he looked at Link. His arms caressed the side of the Door of Time. “They call to you, Master. They are ready to welcome you into the fold. Why do you still pause? I thought you wanted this.”

“Gan.” Link stepped between Ganondorf and the door. “Gan, what is he talking about? Why are you--” He stopped when his spinning thoughts finally came to a conclusion. “Gan, no. No, you can’t! Don’t tell me you’re giving in!” 

When Ganondorf only continued to stare at the open door, Link stomped a foot and beat at the Gerudo’s chest. “No! You’re supposed to be the strong one! You think I’m going to hurt you? You think I’m going to let those Goddesses win? No! _Neh!”_ He trailed off to curse in all the languages he knew, and to spit insults at Ganondorf in his native tongue. “You coward!” Link finished in Hylian. 

Ganondorf slapped Link aside. “Yes,” he answered in a slow voice. “I’m the coward. You’re the courageous one. End it now, Link. End it before it gets worse.”

“Master, don’t spout such nonsense,” Ghirahim snapped. 

Link wiped spit from his lips and pulled out an arrow. “You want me to end it?” He raised the point towards his neck, and Ganondorf moved again. His hand snatched up the arrow and snapped it in half. His other hand grabbed Link by his new ponytail and shoved him away. With Link clear again, Ganondorf took a step towards the door. Its light fell across him, and he heard the voices of his ancestors call to him.

Link placed himself between Ganondorf and the door once more only to have Ghirahim drag him away this time. “Why do you persist?” Ghirahim snarled. A small, black blade appeared in his hand, shining with red sorcery. Its point was shoved up into Link’s left nostril. “Or perhaps you want to find out how much of you I can remove before you die?”

“Ghirahim!” Ganondorf snapped, and the blade pulled away. “The fight is ours.”

Ghirahim sneered but released Link, who at once moved in front of Ganondorf again. “I’m not fighting you, Gan. Just come back. Just come back with me and Ravio and we’ll figure things out.” Tears came to his eyes when Ganondorf didn’t acknowledge the plea. “You said… You said we would figure things out. We would win this.”

Ganondorf sucked in a deep breath; sorcery sparked at his fingertips. “Little fish, I’m sorry.” He shoved Link aside and advanced to the threshold of the door. 

_“No!”_ Link snagged Ganondorf’s hand and pulled. He had just enough strength to keep the Gerudo from advancing the last two steps. “You’re not going through that door! You’re coming back, and we’re going to fix this! We’re going to figure it out!”

Ghirahim sniggered. “It’s futile,” he said to Link. He slipped up beside the Hylian and leaned in close. Link had to fight the urge to draw away. “My Master is already more of himself than he ever was before,” Ghirahim whispered in Link’s ear. “He’s going to walk through that door, and when he comes out he’ll be your worst nightmare.”

“Hard to imagine anyone worse than you,” Link spat. Ghirahim’s hand caught his jaw before it had closed around the last word. The small blade pressed up against the underside of his tongue.

“You won’t be needing this to fight,” Ghirahim said.

_“Hiyaah!”_

Too late, Link noticed the spot of purple in his peripheral vision. He had a feeling Ghirahim had noticed it much earlier, and all of the last minute had been baiting to bring Ravio closer. It worked. Ravio swung Rusl’s sword with all his might. He was unused to the heavy blade, and it barely made it higher than his shoulder. 

Ghirahim caught the slow blade between two fingers and snapped it out of Ravio’s hands. Ravio screamed when Ghirahim caught him next. He pulled the boy close against his chest and laughed as Ravio struggled. 

“Ravio!” Link dropped his hands from Ganondorf’s arm to make for Ghirahim, and Ganondorf took a half-step forward. Link gasped, snagged Ganondorf again, and looked to Ghirahim with as much fury as he could muster in his face. _“You let him go!”_

A crack of thunder underlined the words. This time, dark clouds grew swiftly across the morning sky. They flashed with hidden lightning, and thunder boomed again.

Ghirahim flicked his wrist, and his black sword appeared in-hand. “You have a choice,” he called to Link over the thunder. “Either you let me have him…” He nodded to Ganondorf. “…or I take him from you.” His sword moved towards Ravio’s strained neck.

A bolt of lightning darkened the ground a foot from Ghirahim, but he didn’t flinch. Link adjusted his grip on Ganondorf’s arm and looked between the Gerudo and Ravio. “They won’t allow it,” he said in desperation. “They didn’t before. They’ll kill you.”

“She’s of no concern to me,” Ghirahim snapped. “Now choose!” 

“I…” A panicked bird fluttered in Link’s chest. It made less room for him to take in air. Thunder rumbled over him, and his heart beat in his ears. Ravio looked frightened as well, but he was holding himself better than Link. He even managed a small smile when he met Link’s eyes, although there were tears in his own.

“Link.” Ganondorf took in a shuddering breath. “Link, it’s okay. It’s okay, Link. Go to Ravio.” He fell silent again, and his arm strained against Link’s grip.

Link closed his eyes and fought back a sob. This was not a choice he ever wanted to make. What did the Goddesses have against him? Why was it always this way? 

“I’m sorry,” Link whispered, and he let Ganondorf’s arm slide out of his hands. The Gerudo walked through the door and vanished.

Ghirahim smiled with satisfaction. “Isn’t it easier when you behave?” he asked. 

Link’s hands clenched into fists. “I did what you asked,” he said, and he reached out for Ravio. Ravio made to walk forward, but Ghirahim’s arm still kept him in check. “Ghirahim--”

Ghirahim’s eyes darkened. The thunder lulled, and a long silence stretched between him and Link. “Have you forgotten, sky child?” Ghirahim asked in a quiet voice. “I lack mercy.”

The blade was quicker than the lightning. It bloomed from Ravio’s chest in a blur of black, and it vanished along with Ghirahim when the bolt sang down. Link screamed, but Ravio made only a small sound before dropping to the ground. When Link turned him over in his lap, he found a wide spread of blood already forming on the front of the tunic. “No. No no no--”

_“Saio.”_ It was hard for Ravio to make himself heard over Link’s grief. His hand moved up towards Link’s chin. _“Saio,_ it’s okay. I’m not scared.”

“Shhh, shhh.” Link pulled up Ravio’s tunic and moaned at the sight of the off-center wound. No amount of time in the world could reverse the damage. Link sobbed.

_“Saio,_ here.” Ravio dropped his hand and groped at the bracelet on his wrist. “I want you to have this. That way you remember me.” His fingers weren’t cooperating, and the first hint of despair came into his voice when he said, “I can’t-- _Saio,_ take it, okay? It’s okay.”

Link raised his head and took off the bracelet, which unhooked on a hinge. Ravio pushed it towards him with a weak hand, and Link put it on his own wrist with shaking fingers. 

“You can have it,” Ravio whispered. Pain flashed across his face, but he didn’t voice it. “I’m not scared,” he repeated in a weakening voice. “The nice lady will take care of me. Just a little pain, and then no more.” He blinked away tears. “Hey, _Saio,_ tell me the story.”

Link’s state of mind was the farthest thing away from being in a storytelling mood. He was still frantically thinking of a way to somehow save Ravio’s life. A small hand on his chest stopped him, and he looked down to find Ravio crying despite his brave words. Link lifted Ravio up against his chest, and the boy pressed his nose into it.

“So warm,” Ravio remarked with a sigh. “Tell me…” His breath shuddered. “Tell me my favorite story.”

Link sniffled and wiped tears from his face. There was rain on his cheeks, too. When had that started? “Once… Once upon a time, there was a traveler walking through a wood. She… She was…”

“Festival,” Ravio breathed, eyes closing.

“Yes,” Link said, and he fell into the rhythm of the story. “She was on her way to a festival. She knew it would take her all day to walk through the wood, so she brought with her a picnic basket. But when the traveler sat down to eat her lunch, she found a rabbit half-starved within the log she sat upon. Out of concern, and knowing there would be plenty of food at the festival, the traveler gave her lunch to the suffering animal before moving on.

“The festival lasted several days, and when it was over the traveler returned the way she had come. This time, a wolf found her along the path. The wolf bared its fangs in a hungry growl, but before it could attack a rabbit leapt between it and the traveler. The rabbit stopped dead in the middle of the path, and the wolf plucked up this easier meal before vanishing back into the wood.

“The traveler then revealed herself to be no ordinary woman when she called forth the rabbit’s departed spirit. ‘Why did you give your life for me?’ she asked the rabbit in a heavenly voice.

“The rabbit’s spirit bowed low in the presence of this goddess, and it replied, ‘All of my life I have known only fear, being prey to other animals. I have never been able to protect anyone, least of all myself. I was nearly dead when you gave me your meal, and with it I regained my strength. What better use for that strength would there have been than protecting someone else?’

“The goddess smiled at the rabbit’s kindness and bravery, and she decided to give it a better reward than the eternity waiting for it in the heavens. ‘For your desire to protect others, rabbit, I will make you into the moon so that you may shine a light onto the world when there is none. But one night a month you will go dark so that everyone will know of the sacrifice you made.’ And so the goddess raised the rabbit’s spirit towards the night sky, and it curled up into a pale circle to cast light upon the sleeping world.”

Link bowed over and pressed a kiss to a cheek that was already growing cold. Perhaps if he kept the boy in his arms, a heartbeat would return. If he put him on the muddy ground, there was no chance. But if he hugged him tight enough… Screamed loud enough…

Link blacked out. An old habit; one he thought he had put behind him with his grief. There were flashes of memory in the darkness. He remembered washing Ravio’s costume, and a Sheikan rite of death spoken in a shattered voice. Then followed another long stretch of dark before he came around for good to hands awash in agony from broken blisters. He had used the Master Sword to hack apart the house’s furniture for a pyre. It was nothing but a small pile of ash now over the spot where the horses’ larger one had burned. After three tries, Link called up a thin layer of water to soak the ash into the ground. His legs failed him, and he dropped to his knees atop the wet grass to scream until his voice no longer worked.

Only then did she arrive, glowing with a blue light. Link recognized her at once, and he was unafraid to meet her eyes. His look expressed the rage he couldn’t say, as did his body when he gained his feet and lunged at her. His knees folded under him, and he dropped to the ground again. 

“Trust me when I say I, too, am furious,” Nayru said to Link. “Ghirahim was explicitly told not to harm Ravio. It was my one requirement in exchange for my impartiality. But my sisters let him run around unchecked, and now it’s too late.

“Ravio was a gift,” Nayru explained while Link lay on the ground, unmoving. “Princess Zelda wanted you to be happy. She said it was what you deserved, and I agreed. More than once I’ve pulled strings best left untouched in compliance of wishes for your happiness. My sisters have sullied those efforts. Therefore, I no longer consider myself an impartial observer. I will give you the wisdom needed to help you succeed.”

Link only mouthed one name.

“He’s fine,” Nayru answered. “He’s warm, and there’s no pain. No, I can’t bring him back again. There is nothing you can offer to balance out that act. Princess Zelda gave a year off her lifespan in exchange. Your life is already tied up in another bargain, and can’t be touched.”

Link lifted his head at that and mouthed a different name in question. 

Nayru nodded. “When you lay dying, Ganondorf gave up his life in exchange for your continued one. He must fall in the upcoming battle. If you fall instead, the payment will be taken in thousands of lives at Ganondorf’s hands. Do you want to be responsible for another massacre?”

Link scowled at the low blow, but Nayru was unmoved. “In two days’ time, Ganondorf will challenge you,” she warned Link. “If you fight him head-on, you will lose. You must appeal to his sense of self--the self that has allowed him to rise above his destiny for so long. If you can take Ghirahim out of the picture, that job will be easier.”

Link had heard enough. He didn’t want to fight anymore. He wanted the suffering to end. He tried to gain his feet again, and this time his legs held up. He closed the house’s door on the blue glow and pushed himself to climb the stairs to the second floor. Ravio’s bed was still made. He collapsed atop it, but barely slept. Instead, he twisted through dreams of happier times ruined by monsters and memories he only half-recognized. 

#

The door never closed behind Ganondorf. It would have been easy to step back into the world, but each time the thought crossed his mind he pushed it away. He hadn’t sacrificed his life just to have it all fall apart. He had to do this, even if it meant immersing himself in everything he had denied.

There was no sacred land beyond the door this time. There was only a dark world where spirits roamed free. They flitted like birds, or lagged like snails. A pair of them took a shining to Ganondorf, and they whispered things in his ears with familiar voices from his youth.

_See, we warned you!_

_We’ve come back to haunt you!_

They laughed in his ears. They laughed at the pathetic dead end he had pushed himself into. There was only one way out now. He had to put more suffering on Link and die at his sword--

**No.**

The spirits of Ganondorf’s dead mothers fled in the face of this powerful voice. It came from everywhere, but no place more strongly than from within Ganondorf himself. It boomed out of his throat, and his body began to change to accommodate it.

**Do you not feel it? The Triforce waits to be claimed. It waits to be gathered. The pieces are within reach. We need only take his piece and kill him. Then the path to the other will be opened.**

“No,” Ganondorf tried to say, but his voice was leaving him. In its place came the bellows and grunts of a beast. He fell forward onto hands and knees that were bulging with growing muscle. Something pushed out on either side of his mouth, and his spine lengthened.

**It is pointless to fight me. I will conquer all, including you. Then I will rule all. No one will stop me. No one can!**

_Except Link,_ Ganondorf thought before his consciousness was drowned under the beast’s mind.


	15. Swept Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link goes home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! The last proper chapter of _Undertow!_ There's an epilogue after this chapter, so enjoy that as well!
> 
> Thank you for reading this story! This third and final fanfiction of my _Zelda Wii U_ series of stories, called _The Hero's Aspects_ will start after I finish one of my other two fanfictions. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

# Undertow

### Chapter Fourteen: Swept Away

In Impa’s lap, Link’s grief felt far away. Her strong embrace enveloped him, and he relaxed against her chest. The stiff body of the small kitten in his hands pulled down on him, but with Impa’s help he could carry the weight.

Impa took the kitten’s body, and in its place a trowel was put into Link’s hands. Link sobbed, but Impa pressed a kiss to his left temple and murmured reassurance. Seconds later, the trowel sunk into the dark dirt of the garden. A hole was soon dug out, and within it Link placed the small body. The dirt was filled back in around it, and Impa helped him to flatten down the mound. Her hands lingered after the burial was done, and Link heard a short song move through the chest at his back. A crop of grass and flowers rose out of the dirt in response. 

Sitting in an empty house that pulled at the memories in his blood, Link could still smell the flowers’ fragrance. He had been in a rush one day and had stepped on the kitten while it was hunkered on a set of stairs. It had been an accident, but for a month no one could tell Link otherwise. He was convinced he brought only death to those he cared for, and he had stayed away for most of the month; hidden in the maze-like castle. 

There was nowhere to hide now. Link felt the Goddesses’ gazes on his neck no matter what room he came to, and the wood spit him back onto the property if he tried to flee it. But outside he didn’t feel the walls pressing in, so he spent much of his time by the scorched earth where the pyres had burned. The Sheikan song had no power on the gravesite, but along its edges Link called up a border of flowers over the course of a day. He was checking the completed work for any flaws when he felt a different set of eyes on his neck, and a shadow fell over him.

“I am sorry about the little one,” she said first. “If I had been there, perhaps he would yet live.”

Link shook his head, dismissing the Dark Wolfos’s guilt. He was the one at fault. He hadn’t protected Ravio like he had promised. A tear worked down his cheek, and he wiped it away with a choked sob. 

“You blame yourself,” the Dark Wolfos said. “But you are only a pawn in a twisted game. You have no control. You are not to blame. It is their fault.” Her voice dropped into a growl. “Are you going to let them get away with it?”

Link cleared his throat. “What power do I have against the Goddesses?” he asked in a hoarse voice. “None. I’m a tool just like all the heroes before me. I don’t have the luxury of breaking, though. I need to win, or more people will die.”

_“Can_ you win?” the Dark Wolfos asked.

Link dropped his head and shook it. “No. I can’t hurt him. That’s why I won’t be fighting.”

“But you just said--”

“I won’t be me,” Link explained. “There are others in my head more than willing to do the job.”

“That isn’t wise,” the Dark Wolfos at once snapped. “If you must kill him, have the spine to do it yourself. It’s what he deserves for his sacrifice.”

“But I--”

“No! _You_ must do it! No other will suit!”

Link covered his face with his hands. She was right, of course. If anyone was going to end Ganondorf’s life, it had to be him--not only to please the Goddesses, but for the Gerudo’s sake. He was suffering. Link had to end that suffering, even if it meant taking it on himself.

“Good,” the Dark Wolfos said when Link raised his head. “You understand. Remember that your grief is something the Goddesses can never touch or understand. It is a power you have over them. Use it when you have nothing else.” She slipped away; back into the wood. 

Link felt warmer when her shadow left him, but lonelier too. The ground in front of him reminded him further of his loneliness. He gained his feet and left it for the confines of the house. He tried to rest, but his head refused to drop into sleep for more than an hour at a time before it fell to turning over thoughts and memories for two hours. The cycle repeated itself all through the day and night until finally Link managed to rest for close to six hours. He awoke not long after dawn to a tugging feeling at the back of his neck.

Today. It would be today.

Strangely, Link felt unafraid. Perhaps that was whatever courage his Triforce piece had found in him. If anything, he was annoyed. Of course it had come to this. What other option had there ever been? It was irritating, and he found himself growing angry over the situation. He used that emotion to drive him into bathing and changing out of the bloodstained clothes he had been wearing since Ravio’s death. A voice in his head suggested green. He ignored it and found another blue tunic.

With his shield and the Master Sword lashed to his back, his bow stored under the shield, and his quiver and short sword at his lower back, he felt a little better. What remained of the supplies was stored into Ganondorf’s expanding wallet; it was tucked into Link’s pocket. For better or worse, he wouldn’t be returning to the house. 

When Link stepped outside, the tug at the back of his neck increased. He followed it to the edge of the orchard, and there he found a surprising sight: a Hylia apple tree. There was only one fruit. He plucked it and admired the signature spot of yellow flesh against the red. The first bite took him back to fond memories of traveling Hyrule Field. He whittled the apple down to its core, turned around, and backtracked to the pyre site where he buried it.

Link’s small spot of happiness dried up the further he ventured into the orchard. The apple trees creaked in an unfelt wind, and they dropped their poisonous fruit to trip him up. He made it through without a scratch to find light flashing out of the open Door of Time in the field beyond. Ghirahim stood close by, watching it. His face was one of glee when he spun around to look at Link.

“The time has arrived!” Ghirahim announced in a giddy voice. He vanished and reappeared behind Link. His hands fell on the Hylian’s shoulders, who tensed. “In mere moments, my master will reemerge in his glorious form! Your knees will weaken in awe of his power before he breaks them off with his bare hands.”

Link reached up to draw the Master Sword, and Ghirahim vanished again to return to his post by the door. Link took the sword into hand nonetheless along with his shield and waited for Ganondorf to emerge.

The first sign that Ghirahim’s hopes were lost came when the door began to expand in all directions. Link watched the anticipation drop out of the thin body to be replaced by tension, and he heard Ghirahim mutter, “What’s going on? Something isn’t right.”

The light streaming out of the door was choked off by a large shadow. Whatever was on the other side couldn’t wait for the door to finish expanding. A powerful arm shot out through the door and latched onto its frame. A crack cut across the field, and the air around the Door of Time fractured like glass. More of the girth pushed through, and the door split like an overripe fruit. 

“No!” Ghirahim cried when the beast forced its way into the field. “No, no, _NO!_ Master, what has happened? This isn’t you! Where is your glorious form?” He voiced a scream of rage and raised a thin, black blade towards the hulking form. “You foul vessel! You’ve reduced my master to a monster!”

The beast had a pig-like face framed by two long tusks, and a long, red mane that swept down into eyebrows and a beard reminiscent of Ganondorf’s chinstrap. Short, gray fur covered the beast’s hunchbacked body and limbs, which ended in clawed digits. Eyes aglow with yellow light surveyed the area, and a blue tongue dripped drool. A tail covered in red hair lashed at the air.

Link looked upon the beast and felt the memories swell up in him. Ganon. That was what it was called. It was a dumb beast, but brutal and almost unstoppable. It was raw power in monstrous form with little trace remaining of the man it once was. And its eyes were set on Link.

Ganon roared and barreled forward towards Link, its strong legs carrying it at a startling speed. But it wasn’t as fast as Ghirahim, and Link was able to roll out of its path. It traveled forward a few more yards before sliding into a pivot that turned it back around towards Link. But before it could charge again, a dark blur zipped out of the orchard and latched powerful teeth onto its back.

Link had always thought the Dark Wolfos to be huge, but she looked pitifully small atop Ganon’s back. As he watched, Ganon reached up and grabbed her scruff with his more capable hands and flung her away. She rolled to a stop with a yelp of pain, but at once gained her feet and rushed at him again with a snarl on her lips. 

_“This is all your fault!”_

Link spun around and barely managed to dodge Ghirahim’s sword. It swept up towards him and clanged off of his shield next. The sound reverberated in Link’s head like a funeral bell, and he recalled Ravio’s death at the hands of the demonic man. The Triforce of Courage shined out from Link’s hand, and he retaliated with the Master Sword.

Ghirahim was still quicker. He got in two cuts before moving out of Link’s range. They were shallow wounds; he was toying with the Hylian. A snap of his fingers called forth a line of small, black daggers that added more shallow cuts to Link’s arms and torso. Ghirahim laughed at Link’s cries of pain before he dashed forward to add yet another cut with his sword.

“Link!” the Dark Wolfos called in concern. She was faring just as badly against Ganon. Link watched her back up before circling around to go for the beast’s side. It swung its tusks, deterring her, and she retreated with a growl while blood coursed through her fur from several wounds.

Link couldn’t spare a word for her. Ghirahim was advancing again. Link braced his feet and raised his shield, and the blade bounced off. But it left his shield severely dented. Link studied it with dismay. _Another hit like that, and I won’t be able to hold it anymore._

How was he to strike at such a fast foe? Link looked for tells, or patterns, or anything else that might tip him off to Ghirahim’s next move. But no sooner did he notice something did Ghirahim switch his tactics up, and soon his playful slices would cease being playful. Link’s thoughts scrambled for a solution, and a memory swam up in his mind. It was thin from age, but it showed a similar battle against Ghirahim. Link understood and whispered thanks before falling into a pattern of his own.

Ghirahim caught on quickly to Link’s repeated jabs, slashes, and circling. He began to anticipate each shift and he cut off Link again and again, or blocked his feeble attempts to get in a hit. When Ghirahim moved in to attack after successfully parrying Link’s blade, Link switched up his act and drove his dented shield into Ghirahim’s chest. He followed up the blow with two slashes of the Master Sword. Two red lines appeared on Ghirahim’s shoulder and chest, and he vanished at once.

Link spun and raised his shield when he saw Ghirahim approaching from behind at a fast clip. The black sword folded the shield in two, and Link dropped it when the strap broke. He leapt back to give himself enough time to draw his bow and an arrow. His aim was still as precise as ever, and the arrow sped towards Ghirahim’s chest. But when it neared, the air around Ghirahim appeared to waver and without moving he managed to avoid the arrow that continued on to strike Ganon’s flank. The beast hardly noticed in its fight against the weakening Dark Wolfos.

_“Drida,”_ Link cursed in a tired voice. He wasn’t built for endurance of this sort. He had usually won all his battles by now, or had a helping hand. He was on the verge of calling out to the Dark Wolfos to see if she could help when a high yelp cut off his thoughts. Both Link and Ghirahim looked to where the beasts battled in time to see Ganon extract a bloody tusk from the Dark Wolfos’s belly. She stumbled and dropped to the ground with a whine where she fell to panting through a mouth lined in red froth. Ganon bellowed in victory.

Link made for her, but Ghirahim moved in when he sensed an opening. Link stopped short and warded off the black blade with the Master Sword. Ghirahim recovered and moved in again. The Dark Wolfos’s defeat had put a crazed energy into him, and he clashed against Link with a maniacal laugh. Link took his short blade into his spare hand to aid in his defense, and sparks flew when it met the black sword.

In an opening, Ghirahim slapped Link across the cheek with the flat of his black sword. Link stumbled back and fell to the ground with a hiss of pain, and Ghirahim moved in. Desperate, Link sheathed his short blade and threw an arrow at him. The air shimmered around Ghirahim again, and Link pushed up from the ground to tackle him in that precious second. Remarkably, the plan worked. Link had just enough weight over Ghirahim to push him to the ground, and he raised the Master Sword to avenge Ravio’s death.

He hesitated. It was only half a second, but in that short span of time Link saw every hero’s final battle against their foe. He watched Ganondorf, Ganon, and other villains die, and he watched himself plunge a helix sword through the chest of his joined tormentors. Would another death solve everything? In that half-second, Link felt it wouldn’t. So he hesitated, and Ghirahim took the opportunity to vanish. 

Link saw the flash of diamond light in the corner of his eyes, but he wasn’t fast enough. The black sword skewered him through the gut. He cried out in pain when it was withdrawn, and Ghirahim laughed. 

“Do you remember our reunion in a field not so different from this one, sky child?” Ghirahim called over Link’s whimpers. “Do you remember how I turned you into a pincushion?” His bright voice darkened. “But even then my master was twisted by your wiles. He saved you, didn’t he? _Didn’t he?”_

The sword was much thinner than a bullbo horn, and there was only one wound instead of over a dozen. Nevertheless, Link’s mind screamed at him that he was dying. The memories of the heroes were scrambled in the wake of the pain, leaving him feel more alone than ever as he watched the shadow of Ghirahim’s sword rise over his head.

The ground jumped under heavy footfalls, and a bellow preceded Ghirahim’s scream. Link heard him plead to his master before a crunch ended his words for good. Something splattered against the Hylian’s boots, and he flipped over to watch what remained of Ghirahim vanish in a different sort of way down Ganon’s gullet.

What had caused Ganon to destroy his servant? Link couldn’t begin to guess. Perhaps it was the beast’s dumb mind combined with its lust for destruction. He doubted it would stop at Ghirahim, and he scrambled to his feet as quickly as his wound allowed. He felt warm blood creep down into his pants, following his right leg to pool into his boot. Ganon smelled it, and his snout flexed as it sucked in the aroma of weakness.

Nayru had told Link to appeal to Ganondorf’s self, but what self remained in this hulking beast? Link had to hope there was something. After all, he wasn’t dead yet. Ganon had yet to attack. He sheathed the Master Sword to show he wasn’t a threat, but he doubted such an act translated to the beast.

“Ganondorf,” Link called over the beast’s heavy breaths, and its ears twitched. “Gan, can you hear me? Are you in there? Come on, _sant bregeta…”_

Ganon snorted, bellowed, and charged at Link. The Hylian dodged, but at the cost of more pain and blood from his wound. He was forced to dodge again seconds later when Ganon pivoted and charged anew. His tusk clipped Link’s elbow, and the Hylian heard a snap. Fortunately it wasn’t his dominant arm, but the pain of the broken bone added to that in his gut to double his vision and make concentrating difficult.

Oddly, Link found himself more angry than frightened. Perhaps it was his stubbornness, but the idea that Ganondorf had turned into a stupid beast coupled with the wounds trying to kill him was enough to snap his patience and unleash his anger. Link drew the Master Sword and fixed a furious glare on Ganon’s yellow eyes.

_“Eow stupere sant bregeta!”_ Link shouted in a mix of Sheikan and Gerudian. He was too angry to make sense of his languages, so he abandoned them in favor of Hylian. “How dare you? How dare you do this to me! After you swore to do anything for me, you go behind my back and become this stupid beast?”

Ganon snorted and bellowed, but it didn’t charge. Something in Link’s voice and hobbled stance was giving it pause.

Link pressed his advantage, and now tears came to his eyes as he shouted across the field. “Where were you when Ravio died? You were too busy chasing your stupid destiny to realize he lay dead behind you! Only I was there! I watched him die in my arms! I sent him off to the Sacred Realm! Alone! _Because you weren’t there!_ Do you know how that made me feel?”

Ganon roared an answer and rushed at Link with great strides of its powerful limbs. Link dodged better this time and slashed with the Master Sword as Ganon passed him. The shining blade bit into the gray fur, and the beast voiced a pained snarl. Its head swung around to bring its tusks to bear. 

Link ducked under the tusks but dropped onto his rear when his gut twisted with pain. Ganon pressed in on him with mouth open, and Link drove the Master sword up through the underside of its chin. The beast howled and whipped its head. Link was dragged along the ground until the Master Sword slid free. He rolled across the uneven field and curled up with a whimper when his wound and arm protested. At this rate, he was going to kill himself long before Ganon got the chance.

_Wait… Maybe…_

The idea was dangerous, but it was one of the last options Link had. He had no hope of taking down Ganon as the beast was. He pushed himself up onto his knees and swapped out the Master Sword for his short blade, which was a thinner. 

Ganon was shaking its head and snorting blood from its nose, but it spun around at Link’s pained shout. It snorted again at the fresh scent of blood creeping out of the short blade sticking out of the wound in Link’s gut. Link’s good hand was wrapped around the grip, and he pushed the blade in up to the hilt while Ganon stared at him. 

_“Phyick,”_ Link whispered around the taste of blood in his mouth. This was a stupid idea. The short blade had widened the wound, and the resulting pain put a tremble in Link’s body. Ganon, too, trembled. Was it working? Link smacked his lips and called out, “You win!” to nail the point home. He then dropped back to his knees and fell forward in a careful manner to avoid jarring the blade in his gut.

Ganon ran over to Link in apparent distress. It came to a stop over top him, and bellowed and roared while it spun in worried circles. Link looked up when he felt something drop against his cheek. A wide wound stretched down the length of Ganon’s belly. Link recognized the claw mark of the Dark Wolfos. Rather than blood, the wound dripped liquid light. It reminded Link of the light that poured out of the Door of Time.

The Master Sword thrummed against Link’s back. He resisted, but generations of heroes and Nayru’s own words of Ganondorf’s sacrifice reminded him of what had to be done. They guided his hand to the Master Sword’s grip and gave him the strength he needed to gain his feet. 

_“Citelgia,”_ Link whispered, eyes filled with tears. He stabbed up into the wound and ran the Master Sword along its length with a scream.

Ganon echoed the scream with an unearthly sound of pain that shook the ground. Its throes pulled it free of the Master Sword, and it reared up onto its hind legs in fear of the shining sword in Link’s hand. 

Link closed in and slashed across the widened would before driving the Master Sword back into the beast’s belly with his remaining strength. Ganon’s cry was more man-like this time. Link closed his eyes against the light pouring out of the wound, and he refused to open them even after the light had faded. If he kept his eyes closed… If he didn’t look…

A hand fell on Link’s head. “Link,” Ganondorf whispered. He coughed wetly. “Link, look at the mess you’ve made of yourself.”

The short blade was pulled out of Link’s wound, and a hand worked to lessen the damage. It fell away before the wound could fully heal, and Ganondorf coughed over Link’s head again. “Little fish, let me look at you.”

Link opened his eyes, and he at once choked on a sob when he saw the Master Sword sticking out of Ganondorf’s stomach. But Ganondorf pulled his head up with shaking hands, and a Gerudian prayer was pressed against Link’s hair. Link clenched his eyes shut and dropped his forehead onto Ganondorf’s chest.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you and Ravio,” Ganondorf whispered. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect the two of you. I’m sorry he’s dead.” He rubbed Link’s hitching back. “You tell Nabooru I fought to the end, won’t you? Tell her I didn’t give in until I had no choice. I don’t want her thinking all of her help was for naught.”

“Tell her yourself!” Link demanded in a cracking voice. He took hold of the Master Sword as if to pull it out, but Ganondorf stopped him. 

“Link. Look.”

A swirling vortex of light was growing beneath Ganondorf’s and Link’s feet. Once it was wide enough, Ganondorf began to sink into it. Link’s feet remained atop it as if the vortex was nothing more than solid ground to him.

_“No!”_ Link grabbed hold of Ganondorf’s arm with his lone good one. It was just enough to stop him from sinking in farther than past his chest. But Link’s wounds pulled at what was left of his strength, and Ganondorf’s arm began to slip away.

“You be good now,” Ganondorf continued as if nothing was amiss. The green color in his dark skin was fading to gray. “I don’t want to hear of any bad reports while I’m stuck in the Realm Between. Try to find what happiness you can, all right little fish?” He coughed up blood that vanished into the vortex.

“I’ll be plenty happy if you stop this and come back with me!” Link cried. His grip was weakening, but he focused on dragging Ganondorf out of the vortex despite the odds. The Triforce of Courage blazed against his hand, and Ganondorf rose an inch out of the vortex. That was it. Link concentrated harder.

Ganondorf gave Link a look of strained admiration. “You’re so stubborn,” he remarked kindly. His free hand whipped out, and the Triforce of Power appeared on the back of his palm when the hand clenched around Link’s grip. The two Triforce pieces flashed, and Link screamed when a burning sensation covered the back of his hand. On instinct, he drew his hand back. The skin was blistered and raw, and his Triforce piece was gone.

“Goodbye, Link,” Ganondorf said before the vortex swallowed him. Link screamed the Gerudo’s name and scrambled for the vanishing fingertips. His hands fell around cool grass, and he screamed again. He began to dig at the ground as if Ganondorf was just below the surface. His broken arm forced him to stop before he had barely started, and he dropped his forehead against the ground to cry into the fresh dirt. The voices and memories that had pushed him throughout the battle went quiet now. Link was glad. He didn’t want to hear them anymore. If it hadn’t been for them, Ganondorf might still be…

**“You win again, Farore.”**

**_“As I told you I would, Din.”_ **

Their voices dug into Link’s ears. He didn’t spare them a glance, and he had no energy to voice his anger. They likely knew of it, and didn’t care.

**“Well hero, you’ve earned your reward,”** Din said to Link.

**_“The Door of Time will take you home,”_** Farore added.

**“Hyrule has been spared devastation for a few more generations.”**

**_“You should be proud of yourself for your role in saving it.”_ **

“Proud of myself?” Link echoed in a furious voice. “I’ve lost everything in your stupid game. Everything.” 

**“Precisely,”** Din said. **“Nothing remains to tie you here.”**

**_“So take your new life and make something new of it,”_** Farore encouraged.

The Door of Time reappeared, whole and unharmed, feet away from Link. The Goddesses’ glows were gone, leaving him alone in the field with the door. He turned his head to look behind him. The field was gouged by the fight between Ganon and the Dark Wolfos, and the apple trees were withering. The Dark Wolfos’s body was gone. Had she been pulled away like Ganondorf?

Link turned forward again and pushed himself onto his feet. He looked through the Door of Time and saw the same light that had poured out of Ganon’s wound. It felt cold when it fell over him. He hesitated, and in his hesitation he realized if he continued to stand here then the Goddesses would never win. He would wait here until he died, and they would never--

An invisible force shoved at Link’s back, and he stumbled through the Door of Time. He fell to his hands and knees against a spread of tan hardpan, and his broken arm collapsed under him with a tearing pain. Link screamed, and someone echoed the sound. 

Link was in shadow. He raised his head from the puddle of blood growing beneath him to see a tall gate towering over him. He lowered his head and closed his eyes against fresh tears.

#

For a week, he said not a word to Nabooru. She didn’t need him to, however. With a nod, Link permitted her to search his mind when she asked. She was with him for an hour, and after the connection was broken she removed herself from the room. She returned close to dusk with a face still bloated from hard crying. She promised Link she would keep his presence at The Fortress a secret for as long as he wanted, and anything he needed would be given to him.

Link stayed in bed while his broken arm and the wound in his stomach finished healing under Nabooru’s care. The Gerudo knew healing methods and spells similarly miraculous to the Sheikah, and it took only two days for everything to heal and close. Link kept the scar on his stomach and back. 

Aside from his memories, Link had nothing but Ravio’s bracelet and journal, the latter stored away in the wallet, to remind him of the last month he had spent with the boy and Ganondorf. After the first week at The Fortress, Link gained the courage to read the journal. He dumped everything out of the wallet, and it fell out alongside the dormant gossip stone. Link put the stone in his pocket and opened the journal to the first page. Seeing Ravio’s progression in writing over the month brought tears to his eyes, and more than once he had to stop and regain control over his emotions before continuing. The last page, filled in two days before Ravio’s death, had only a short passage.

_I keep dreaming about Saio and Faedra fighting. I don’t want that to ever happen. I’m going to protect them so that we’ll always be happy._

Beneath the words was a picture of three people, two horses, and a bird under a shining sun. Link stared down at the picture for a long time, and likely would have continued to do so well past an hour if the gossip stone in his pocket didn’t flash.

“Hey, Link,” came both Impa’s and Zelda’s voices through the stone. “Just us in our daily checkup on you,” Zelda continued. Her voice cracked when she said, “I know what’s probably happening right now between you and Ganondorf, Link. I’m so sorry. I wish I could be there for you. Please take care of yourself and Ravio.”

“We’ll check in again tomorrow,” Impa added. The stone went dark. 

Link had a strong desire to call back to them; to tell them that the worst was over, and he was home. But neither statement felt true to him, and he put the stone aside before crawling back into bed to sleep more of his grief away.

After two months of near-silence, and listening to the daily checkups through the gossip stone, Link realized he was getting no better. If anything, he was getting worse. He began to drop weight, and his nightmares increased in frequency and vividness. Nabooru did what she could to bring him around. She took him on rides through The Fortress, and on one occasion she shared his bed. When nothing appeared to work, she suggested something different: Link should seek out his old friends.

To Nabooru’s surprise, Link didn’t balk at the idea. He came around to it after a day’s thought and announced that he would be leaving for Malon’s and Shad’s ranch, which he had learned of through Nabooru. He would spend some time with them getting back into the rhythm and familiarity of Hyrule before going on to reunite with Impa and Zelda.

“I’m glad to hear that, Link,” Nabooru said with genuine relief when Link told her of his plans. “And know you’re always welcomed to return here whenever you want.”

It was then Nabooru’s turn to surprise Link. On the morning he was set to depart, she took him to the stables and presented him with a black stallion named Wint. “He was the last foal Torrent fathered before you left with Ganondorf,” Nabooru explained while Link admired the powerful horse. “Pure Gerudian stock, all the way through.”

Link approached the horse and ran his fingers through the long mane. Wint was almost Torrent’s mirror image. Link pressed his forehead against the long nose and thanked Nabooru in a voice strained by both joy and sorrow.

Wint didn’t have Epona’s training--not yet--but he had her spirit and gentleness. He carried Link and the saddlebags from the Gerudian border and across the green grass of Hyrule Field. Link spent his first night under the familiar stars, breathing in the comfortable smell of the grass, and at once wished he could be enjoying it with others. 

He arrived to Malon’s and Shad’s ranch shortly before dawn. Nabooru had told him of the couple’s young child, so he didn’t dare to knock so early. Instead, he lay down on the porch swing and fell asleep. His nightmares found him even at this peaceful place, and he jerked out of a particularly nasty one to find Shad staring down at him in wide-eyed surprise.

Link at once regretted imposing, but Malon and Shad were more than welcoming. Even so, he hardly spoke to them or even looked at them the first week. They were patient, however, and they offered him support and open ears when he felt the need to voice his fears or nightmares. In fact, they were more afraid of upsetting him than the other way around. Lacy could be a handful, and shortly after his arrival she began to suffer from a cough that woke her up in the middle of the night

Link woke up at the sound of the cough and walked down the hall to Lacy’s bedroom. Malon met him there a minute later to find him soothing Lacy back into sleep. He spent the night in the child’s room, and in the morning he showed Malon and Shad how to burn Zora pothos to alleviate the cough. Through small steps such as helping with Lacy, or giving a hand with the daily chores, Link reintegrated himself into the feeling of sharing his time with others. 

One day, a little more than a month after his arrival to the ranch, Link announced he was going to Hyrule Castle to see Impa and Zelda. Malon and Shad were glad to hear this, and they saw him off the next morning with a small lunch for the trip. 

“Take as much time as you need,” Shad urged Link. “We’ll keep the guest room open for you.”

“This is for Princess Zelda and Lady Impa,” Malon said as she handed up a covered basket. “I suppose you can have some, too,” she added with a smile. The basket was warm from the fresh sweet rolls that filled it to the brim. Link thanked both Malon and Shad before he spurred Wint into an easy walk down the ranch’s road.

The castle grew on the horizon alongside the knot in Link’s stomach. It twisted when Castle Town’s gates sharpened into view, and too late he wished he had dug out his old Sheikan cloak to hide his face. But he needn’t have worried. People spared him only fleeting glances or longer looks of admiration when they noticed his youthful features or fine Gerudian stallion. Link tried to relax in his anonymity, but the sight of the castle gate brought his worries to the front once again.

A guard stood at the gate, per the norm. Link nodded to him after halting Wint, and the soldier returned it before asking what business Link had at the castle.

Link considered a few options. He could lie his way in--he still had his experience from living in the castle, and he knew what could get him through the gate. He could raise a fuss and demand someone confirm who he was, seeing how the soldier didn’t recognize him. Or he could turn around and forget all of this. 

Link decided on the truth. It was what Impa valued the most, and what Zelda deserved. “Please tell Impa that Bleu--“ Link stopped, smiled a little to himself, and tried again. “Please tell Impa that Link is here.”

The message was passed on to the castle, and Link waited. It didn’t take long before the distant clap of an opening door cut across the front gardens. Link raised his head higher and watched a white-haired woman run down the road towards the gate. His heart panged, and he slid out of the saddle with tears growing in his eyes. The guard took notice and opened the gate, and Link passed through it to run into Impa’s arms.

“Oh, _min kilthei. Suavis dore min kilthei.”_ Impa’s voice was weak with relief and joy, but there was a hint of grief in it as well. She hugged Link tight and soothed him in Sheikan while he cried in her arms. All of his sorrow washed over her, but she bore it with a straight back.

At Impa’s request, Link’s horse was stabled while she led him back to the castle. His tears had dried up, and a lost look had replaced them. They fell again when Zelda found him and Impa, and she embraced Link just as tightly as the Sheikah had. 

When Link had control over himself, he realized he had neglected to bring the sweet rolls. Impa went to fetch them from the stable, and for a few minutes Link was alone with the princess. She stroked his hair back from his wet face and kissed his cheek, but she was crying too. 

“I wanted to warn you,” Zelda whispered. “I wanted to warn you so much--”

“Zelda, no,” Link cut in. “It’s not your fault. It’s not.” He knew whose fault it was, but he didn’t want to ruin the moment by bashing the Goddesses. “Thank you,” he said instead, and his voice cracked. “For what you did for me… For giving me Ravio, if only for a short while…”

Zelda covered her mouth when she realized the implication behind Link’s words. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, and she let him cry on her shoulder. 

Over the course of a week, Link told Impa and Zelda the story he hadn’t yet shared with anyone but Nabooru. Speaking the details rather than allowing someone to watch them left him with a hollowed feeling in his chest. He felt lighter, but at the same time empty. 

“Truth has that odd quality,” Impa said when Link told her of these feelings. “It both weighs us down and lifts us up. The trick is knowing how to stay afloat even when that weight pulls on you, and when to stay grounded when the truth calls for attention.”

Link kept the advice close to heart and carried it with him when he left the castle to return to the ranch. He had to promise again and again not to disappear before Zelda let him go.

Not long after the royal reunion, Link made his way to the quieter village of Ordon. He climbed the short hill to Uli’s house and knocked on the door. It was answered promptly by a young girl of roughly nine years of age. She looked up at Link, and her eyes widened. A scream left her mouth, and the door slammed shut in Link’s face.

“Neve…” Link grumbled as raised voices and shouts came through the door. The next one to open the door was Colin, Neve’s older brother. He was older too, but he didn’t slam the door. Instead, he cried out Link’s name and nearly bowled the Regn Hylian over when he hugged him tight. Neve pelted out of the house to join in the embrace, and Link hugged both of them back.

Colin smiled warmly at Link. “I’m glad you’re home.”

Link ruffled the boy’s hair. “Me too.”


	16. Epilogue: The Carved Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The epilogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the epilogue! I promised you a happy ending, didn't I?
> 
> Thank you for reading this story! Please enjoy!

# Undertow

### Epilogue: The Carved Path

He had expected something a lot worse given the voices screaming in combined despair in his head as he was pulled down, but the Realm Between wasn’t so bad. It was quiet, and there was a soft white light that held him up as if he was resting on a cloud. He was the only one down here, however. The voices and memories had ceased as if snuffed out like a candle. It made him feel a little lonely. 

The loneliness didn’t last long. He saw a blue glow overtake some of the white light, but he respectfully kept his eyes closed. Floating in the Realm Between, enveloped in Nayru’s presence, he felt as weak and timid as a child.

“Fear not, Ganondorf,” Nayru spoke in a soothing voice. “Everyone is judged by me upon their death, so you are not alone in this ordeal. Even as we speak I am with countless other living things as they breathe their last.”

“I’m afraid I’m a little different from your average ant,” Ganondorf said in a voice of forced cheer.

“True,” Nayru agreed. “And you are even more different from the past Gerudian kings, so I will be taking special care.”

“Am I allowed to ask questions?”

“You’re wondering about Link?”

“Yeah,” Ganondorf confirmed. 

“Then open your eyes.”

Ganondorf eased his eyes open, and they fixed on an image that had appeared above him. It was similar to the scrying bowls he had used to keep an eye on Link years ago, and indeed Link was the focus here as well. He was at The Fortress, asleep beside Nabooru in the early dawn hours. “Wait, he’s already…”

“Time moves strangely in this realm,” Nayru explained. “It shrinks and stretches. Nothing is consistent, and that leaves a lot of room to play around, so to speak. It’s the reason why so many of your ancestors have been able to escape this place after being imprisoned.”

“Huh.” Ganondorf watched Link and Nabooru sleep. “What about Ravio?” he asked next. “Is he… Did he pass?”

Nayru answered in a quiet voice, “It was not my intention to have Ravio back so soon. But as I told Link, Ravio is safe and warm. And one day his spirit will be resurrected in another, just like all other good spirits are. Now relax.”

Ganondorf wasn’t sure how he was supposed to relax as a spirit, but he was easily distracted by the eye that followed Link over the course of the months that shrunk and stretched. With pride, Ganondorf watched him get a grip on a normal life again. The grieving moved away; although it was still there, it was no longer a priority. Link reconnected with his loved ones, and they helped him in reclaiming the land that was once Silbarine. When he called for rain, Ganondorf asked Nayru to answer, and she did. A house, a stable, and a wide field of wildflowers soon replaced the village’s remains, and the lake once more ran clear with pure water.

“Hey, that’s Wint,” Ganondorf said with a smile when he saw Link riding the stallion across Hyrule Field. “I bet Link already has him jumping through rings of fire and dancing on his back hooves. I’m glad he’ll be giving him a good life.”

“You really care about Link, don’t you?” Nayru asked.

Ganondorf had forgotten she was with him. “I do,” he answered after his surprise had worn off. “Nabooru set me on the path to be a better person than my mothers wanted me to be, but Link was the one who kept me on that path. Even at my worst he always guided me back, whether he knew it or not.”

“You are a rare exception to your bloodline, Ganondorf,” Nayru remarked. 

The image faded from the front of Ganondorf’s eyes, and he closed them in expectation of the worst. “What does that mean?”

“It means you’ve passed,” Nayru answered. “You will be the first of your bloodline to escape the Realm Between and be reborn in the way each spirit should be. You’ve earned it.”

“So being reborn is my reward?” Ganondorf asked, and Nayru answered in the affirmative. “Can I get an advance on it?”

“You want to return home right now,” Nayru guessed. 

“I do,” Ganondorf answered. “But I’ll gladly give up that chance if Ravio can go back instead.”

Nayru’s pause was significant, and Ganondorf hung on tenterhooks the whole while. He was asking a Goddess to bend the rules for him--a Goddess who had already bent plenty of them to fulfill his first request. It was brazen, but here in the Realm Between where he had nothing to lose a little boldness could be afforded.

Nayru’s glow flexed, and she finally spoke up. “You will be reborn no matter what. Whether through the normal means or by escaping this realm, your line will carry on. The destiny placed on yours and Link’s bloodlines is too strong to be held back for more than a few generations.”

“Fine,” Ganondorf said. “So I’ll wait however long it takes, and if I become a different person whose fate is to die at a different hero’s hands, so be it. I’ll give up any chance of returning to my true self if it means Ravio can be reborn right now, at this very moment.”

Again, Nayru was a while before she responded, “So you would once more trade your life for another?”

“Yes,” Ganondorf answered firmly.

“Then I must once more consult with the one who holds that life in her hands.”

“Thank--Wait. Who?” Ganondorf opened his eyes and frowned at the empty space above him. “Who holds my life?”

“Who holds every Gerudo’s life?” Nayru asked in return. Her blue glow pulled away, and it was replaced in short time by a soft golden light.

_Hello, Ganondorf._

A shiver ran through Ganondorf’s spirit. “Ser… Serha…”

Her laugh was like honey. _Yes._

A million thoughts raced within Ganondorf’s head. He couldn’t speak, and he certainly couldn’t think. A warm pair of lips on his forehead calmed his frantic mind, and he released a shuddering sigh. 

_My, but you have made quite the name for yourself,_ Serhanaka said. Her words buoyed Ganondorf’s spirit. _Abdicating your throne, refusing the call of your blood, making bargains with Goddesses…_

Ganondorf found the strength to speak, but his voice was still only a whisper. “I tried my best.”

_It was enough,_ Serhanaka assured him. _Ganondorf, look upon me. I give you leave._

Ganondorf opened his eyes and looked to the source of the golden glow. Had he a physical form, her beauty would have shook it apart. Even so, he felt his spirit vibrate when he met her eyes. Later, he would remember only intense feelings of comfort and love when he thought back on what he had seen.

_You are a good person, Ganondorf,_ Serhanaka remarked after Ganondorf had closed his eyes again. _I will allow Nayru to once more fulfill your wish._

“Thank you,” Ganondorf whispered. 

_You are welcome, my child,_ Serhanaka returned. Her golden glow retreated, and Nayru’s blue one returned.

“Now?” Nayru asked.

“Yes,” Ganondorf answered. “But, may I ask… Could you put a little bit of me in him too this time? So that Link knows.”

“Of course.” Nayru’s glow retreated and didn’t return. Ganondorf waited for some sign that his wish had been granted, but he neither heard nor saw one. Eventually, he fell into whatever passed for sleep in the Realm Between. He was satisfied with himself. He had done well given the circumstances, and he was able to give Link a bit of happiness back. Whatever happened to him now, he would hold onto that kernel of good in him for as long as he could.

Time passed in its odd way, and Ganondorf slept on until a golden glow fell against his eyelids. He opened his eyes to find himself surrounded in Serhanaka’s glow.

_Ganondorf._

Ganondorf turned to look to the Goddess, but something was wrong. The light around him was fading to darkness. He scrambled to remain in the Realm Between and found his spirit was too heavy. It was dragging him down. He fell into a world without sight or sound save for Serhanaka’s words ringing in his head.

_Nayru is not the only Goddess who can bend the rules._

#

Link opened his eyes and saw his new house surrounding him. Two months after construction had finished he was still surprised to find himself pleased with waking up in a bed surrounded on all sides by walls. He didn’t think it would ever get old--certainly not with the wide field and sparkling lake that lay beyond those walls. 

He only wished it wasn’t so lonely. He had built two extra bedrooms in anticipation for guests, and indeed Malon and Shad, as well as Impa and Zelda, had stayed a few nights. But they couldn’t be there every day. They had their own lives to live. However, Link was planning on spending some of that time with them. Most of the autumn would be spent with Malon and Shad to help them with harvesting and getting the ranch ready for winter. Next would be a move to The Fortress during the winter months where the snow never fell. In the following spring, he would spend some more time with Impa and Zelda. But until all that, he had only himself for company.

Link rolled out of bed and grabbed a change of clothes before heading to the washroom. On his way down the hall, he was compelled to glance through the open door of the first guestroom. The glance turned to a stare, and the clothes dropped out of Link’s hand.

The crop of dark hair moved against the pillow, and the young boy sat up with a yawn. He was around ten years of age with a familiar set of green eyes. His raven hair flashed new hints of Gerudian red in the sun, and his skin was a little darker than Link remembered. But it was unmistakably…

Ravio smiled sleepily at Link. “Hey, _Saio.”_

On stiff legs, Link walked into the room. Ravio shifted to the edge of the bed and laughed when Link dropped a shaking hand onto his messy hair. It was a dream. It had to be. But Ravio looked and felt so real. 

“The nice lady said I could come back,” Ravio explained. He reached up and grabbed hold of Link’s wrist. “Hey, you still have my bracelet! I’m glad.” He smiled at Link again and hugged him tight around the waist. _“Saio,_ are you glad I’m back?”

Link sucked in a deep breath and bit his knuckle. The pain was real. This wasn’t a dream. He shifted out of Ravio’s embrace and sat down on the bed to pull the boy into his arms properly. 

_“Saio,_ it’s okay,” Ravio said when Link broke into tears. “We’re going to be together again. The nice lady said so. She said I can live with you for as long as I want. That’s okay, right?” Link nodded against Ravio’s shoulder, and the boy said, “Good. Hey, _Saio!_ Can we have breakfast now? I’m hungry.”

#

Link spent most of the first week reassuring himself that Ravio was truly back, and that he wasn’t leaving anytime soon. He stared hard at the food that vanished into the boy’s mouth as if making sure it wasn’t being tricked away. His hands lingered in Ravio’s hair when he scrubbed it clean, double-checking that each strand was where it was supposed to be. And at least twice a night he got out of bed to reassure himself that Ravio was still in the next room.

Ravio eventually asked when he was going to meet Impa and Zelda, and Link took him to the castle the next day. He told both women of the miraculous turn of events before he introduced Ravio. They wasted no time in spoiling the boy, and Ravio relished in the attention over the course of the three-day stay. Not long after the castle visit Link and Ravio took a day to go to Ordon Village, Izumi Village, and the ranch. After playing with the children of Ordon and Izumi in the morning and afternoon, and stuffing himself with Malon’s cooking in the evening, it didn’t take much to send Ravio off into sleep. He and Link spent the night at the ranch.

Link saved The Fortress for last only because he wanted Ravio to get used to seeing more than one or two people before visiting the bustling desert city. The boy continued to surprise Link by taking it all in stride. He soaked in the sights, smells, and sounds of The Fortress from atop Wint while Link led the stallion through the packed streets. Nabooru met them at the door of the stronghold on the city’s edge, and Ravio ran into her arms as if they had known each other for years. 

“Look at you!” Nabooru said, and she turned in place with Ravio, who laughed. “It’s a miracle! How?” She looked to Link.

Link stepped forward and ran his hand through Ravio’s hair, and the desert sun revealed the hints of red. “I think it was Ganondorf. Somehow, he convinced the Goddesses to give Ravio back.”

“He almost looks half-Gerudo,” Nabooru agreed. She rubbed her nose against Ravio’s, and he laughed. “Well then, little Ravio, do you want to see my throne room?” 

“Yeah!” Ravio exclaimed. Nabooru laughed, lowered him to the ground, and guided him into the stronghold’s depths. 

“I’ll catch up later!” Link called after them. Nabooru raised a hand before the shadows of the hall swallowed her and Ravio, and Link turned around to head back to the city proper. He wanted to pick up a few things--things Ravio might like, such as a Gerudian ornament and a Lanayru dragon pear.

Link melted into the city with far more ease than he would have managed years ago. It hadn’t changed much in all that time, and he followed familiar streets to the fruit market where half a dozen kiosks offered dragon pears. He wasn’t sure which one to pick, so he looked up to ask Ganondorf--

An old habit. The Gerudo wasn’t there, of course. Link withdrew from the market when a chill ran up his spine, and he returned to the stronghold empty-handed. Nabooru gave him a strange look when he found her and Ravio, but he waved off her concern and joined the boy in trying out a few traditional Gerudian instruments. Ravio grew attached to a small drum that he was able to tuck under his arm, and he marched through the stronghold banging on it until he got lost and had a guard escort him back to where Link, Nabooru, and the other Gerudo were sitting down for dinner.

Nabooru asked Ravio if he had ever been at a bonfire. He asked what that was, and Nabooru explained how the Gerudo gathered around a huge fire every so often and stayed up late telling stories, singing songs, and dancing. Ravio was on board with the idea at once, and in the hours before sunset it was all he talked about.

Ravio lasted an hour and a half before the singing and dancing wore him out. He found Link not far from the bonfire, and he curled up beside him with his head in the Regn Hylian’s lap. He was asleep in minutes, and Link carried him into the stronghold not long after. Nabooru had given them Ganondorf’s old chambers to sleep in during their stay. Link lay Ravio in the wide bed and covered him up. He no longer worried about the boy vanishing in the middle of the night, so he turned from the bed with every intention to return to the bonfire. 

A strummed chord stopped Link before he could pass from the bedroom to the sitting room. He was already telling himself it was a trick of his surroundings--a window carrying a song from outside--when a slow series of plucked notes drew him towards the sitting room.

_“I walked through the desert_  
And found only sand  
My faith pulled me forward   
And guided me…” 

Ravio stirred behind Link and raised his head with a mumbled inquiry. His small feet fell against the floor just as Link paused on the door’s threshold. 

_“My steps vanished fast_  
In the shifting land  
I sought out salvation  
In a sand sea…” 

Link stared at the filled seat by the fireplace. Ravio pushed past him and came to a stop a few feet further into the room. Link saw his profile broaden in a smile. 

_“Faedra!_ You came back too!”


End file.
